When the Walls Collapse
by Maeve.Pendergast
Summary: The archives speak of two beings, one who will bring balance to the Force and one who seeks to corrupt the other. But the Harmony doesn't know that yet. Overwhelmed with apprenticeship and the war, they heard the Dark Side call…(Book I of The Braided Path)
1. I

_He was_ _running. Running hard and fast. He didn't know what he was running from. All he knew was that he needed to run. He hadn't looked back. Until now. And he realised why he was running. A swirling storm cloud was whipping behind him. Dark purple clouds were illuminated by flashes of bright blue lightning. He ran towards the area ahead of the storm where the light and clear sky shone down. But that wasn't the end of the terror. When dark and light clashed, it was anything but the end. The storm grew worse sending bolts of white-hot lightning streaking to the ground. The thunder was deafening and there was no place to take shelter from the hellish storm. He almost didn't notice the other person run up next to him. That was until they raised their hands. And seemingly from nowhere a blinding orange and red light grew and grew until…_

Anakin awoke with a start. He gasped and sat up suddenly. His sudden movement alerted the other person in the room.

"Are you okay?"

Anakin looked towards the source of the sound. There she was. The girl from his dream. But there was something different about her this time. Anakin stared blankly at her, his mind still haunted by the vision, for what seemed like an impossibly long time before he realised who she was. Iella. His young Padawan whose strong, resilient frame, and rich chestnut hair reminded him of Padme; and her vivacious and tenacious Force presence was almost identical to Master Qui-Gon. Her striking eyes clouded with slight concern. She was completely unaware of the destiny foretold to her by the Jedi council. Right now, he was just in charge of teaching her the Jedi ways. Her destiny would come another time when the Council decided she was ready. Anakin hated lying to her, it made him feel sick.

"Yes. Just a nightmare. Nothing to be worried about." He responded.

Iella seemed to accept his answer without question though a wisp of doubt flickered into the Force. She pressed the door lever and walked into the cockpit of the small Eta-Class shuttle. Anakin was once again alone.

It was a fairly simple mission, by Anakin's standards. The Clone Wars were in full force and the Republic was right in the middle. Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Anakin's Padawan Iella Kestal had been asked to destroy a Separatist spy post on Ostriea. The post wasn't as guarded as others they've dealt with and the location is easy to locate. They were en route to the planet now and were expected to arrive within the day.

The ship tossed to the side a little, throwing Anakin off balance. He stood up and walked over to the door and entered the cockpit. Obi-Wan and Iella were sitting in the pilot's chairs rapidly clicking buttons and pulling levers.

"What's going on?"

"The planet's atmosphere seems to be pulling us in at an accelerated rate." Obi-Wan answered. "Well don't just stand there! Help get the propulsion engines working to slow our descent!"

Anakin sat down in the small chair behind the pilot's chair. The ship began to toss more violently and warning lights and alarms started going off; ringing in the cockpit.

"I still can't see anything!" Iella exclaimed. The viewport was clouded by a thick reddish-orange fog that prevented them from seeing outside the window. Then suddenly the fog cleared. But there wasn't enough time to pull up as the shuttle crashed nose first into a large pile of gravelly rock. Everybody was thrown forward against the ship. Obi-Wan was the first to sit up.

"Is everybody alright?"

"Yeah but I bet the Admiral isn't going to be happy we crashed another one of his ships." Iella remarked rubbing her hand over her forehead gently.

Anakin gave a little smile to himself. _Iella is certainly getting her sense of humour._ When Obi-Wan and Anakin had first met Iella she was a strong girl but her life on Scipio had been a difficult one. She had to fight to survive everyday on that frigid and treacherous planet all alone. The Jedi Council did not want her to grow up in the Temple, only to have her join the Order as a Padawan. He doesn't know why the Council decided that would be a good idea for her considering what happened when Qui-Gon tried to bring Anakin to the Temple. But nevertheless she survived. She didn't really have a personality when they met her. She didn't have time for that. But as she began learning more and more, her once suppressed personality was slowly revealing its vibrant, passionate self, blossoming in colourful flowers and bright fireworks that sparkled over the sable cloak of grief that covered the galaxy. He had never met someone whose energy was so bright. Sure Qui-Gon's had been pretty close but his always sat low, immersed in wisdom and experience. Obi-Wan's was just calm, gentle, controlled; it was bright sure, but never blinding.

Obi-Wan stood up from his chair and walked down the ramp and onto the planet. The ship had crashed in a large pile of rocks and was balancing precariously at a steep pitch. Obi-Wan surveyed the damage with disappointment. Iella and Anakin walked out of the ship one in front of the other. The planet was covered for miles with desolate dark pink sand. The sky was a bright white and clear. There were no mountains, no buildings, just miles of flat sand.

"Well, what do we do now?" Iella began. "There's no place to go and there's no one here."

Obi-Wan pulled from his pocket, a scanner, and walked a small area around the ship.

"There's some kind of building approximately 2.8 kilometres from here, just beyond that dune. There might be someone living here. Best we get there before nightfall."

The moon in the sky was gradually sneaking up the horizon. The speeder bikes had been damaged in the crash and no longer functioned. The ship, once in a precarious balance had finally tipped and was slowly sinking into the sand. The trio began the long walk towards the horizon and the building.

"Iella,"

"Yes, Master?"

"Did I ever tell you how much I hate sand?"


	2. II

It was almost pitch black by the time the Jedi reached the building. It was a small one-story building made of weather-beaten wood and was almost halfway covered up by sand. Obi-Wan was in the front of the group, Iella behind him and Anakin next to her. As Obi-Wan opened the door to the shack, Iella stumbled but before she could fall; Anakin held out his arms and caught her.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked, concerned. She stood up and reached a hand up to cradle her forehead.

"Just felt a little light-headed that's all. Probably from the heat."

Obi-Wan looked behind to see what was the matter. Anakin and Kenobi exchanged worried eye contact.

"No really I'm alright!" Iella protested.

It was almost impossible to see now. The days on Ostriea were short and hot but the nights are long and cold. They entered the dilapidated building. It was completely empty spare a large flat rock.

"It's not much but we'll have to stay here until sunrise." Obi-wan informed them.

"It's not like there's anywhere else we can stay." Anakin retorted sarcastically.

But nevertheless they had to make do. Iella volunteered to take the first watch. Anakin lay down in the sand. He was surprised at how warm and soft the sand was for being in the dead of night. Obi-Wan fell asleep first but shortly after, so did Anakin.

A scream awoke Anakin and Obi-Wan. The sun hadn't started rising on the horizon yet. They sat up suddenly and just as they did, they heard the familiar sound of a lightsabre being ignited. They ran out of the shack to see a large creature resembling a scorpion but instead of a stinger it had a large electrical charge emanating from one of the prongs on its 2 pronged tail. Attached to the other prong was a long razor-sharp blade stained with crimson blood. It was like nothing Anakin had seen before. They saw Iella with lightsabre drawn defensively, blood running down from a large cut on her forearm.

They rushed to help her. When the beast saw the other Jedi with lightsabres drawn it took that as a challenge. It fought harder and faster than before. It swung its charged tail down missing Obi-Wan by a few inches. Anakin was dealing with the blade-ended tail which moved in agile slashing motions making it hard for Anakin to hit it with his sabre. Blood from Iella's wound mixing with the pink sands to make large droplets of garnet-coloured terrain. Iella with her uninjured arm and limber body was trying to get an opening to the body of the creature to stab it. Normally Obi-Wan would have something to say about slaying an innocent creature but this was very different. This creature had attacked Iella, injured her, and was trying to kill them. And if the Council got mad at them, so be it. This was a matter of self-defence, through and through.

With the three of them fighting from all angles the creature was starting to tire and lose focus. Obi-Wan was able to swipe and injured the electric tail causing the creature to rear up and cry in pain. Iella took this opportunity to make her move. She ran quickly up to the creature avoiding the still-slashing blade tail and plunged her lightsabre deep into its chest. The beast made a screeching noise louder than anything Anakin had heard. Iella ran out from under it as the beast fell with a dead thud that sent sand flying. Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Iella covered their faces as the sand settled.

Iella faltered, blood still pouring out of her wound. The battle had split the cut open again. She dropped her sabre as her arm reached up to cover the wound. Anakin ran over to her. She was weak and her skin was cold and clammy. He helped her sit down and Obi-Wan ripped off part of his tunic and pressed it to the wound. She winced and shuddered.

"I was standing guard...and...and that creature came from no..nowhere…and slashed my a..a..arm. I couldn'...t..t fight b...back al..lone. I'm so..sorry Master."

The bleeding was slowing but the young Padawan was losing consciousness.

"Hey, there's no reason to be sorry. You did well. Now rest." Anakin said as he tried to comfort her.

Obi-Wan continued to press the fabric to her wound, his face pressed into a concerned frown. Iella lost consciousness a few moments later. Even in the blistering heat, she was shaking with cold. Carefully, Anakin lifted her up and carried her over to the large rock inside the shack before placing his thick brown cloak over her to keep her warm. The cloak, tailored for the lean height of Anakin Skywalker, almost completely dwarfed Iella's body. Unconsciously she buried herself deeper in his cloak, as if she suddenly felt much safer.

"We can't stay here." Obi-Wan commented. "Another one of those beasts might come back."

"We also can't travel in the dark. And we also don't know where to go." Anakin replied.

"Alright, we'll stay here until morning and then we'll figure out where we're going." Obi-Wan agreed, one hand reaching up to stroke his beard wistfully, considering the options.

Anakin stayed up the entire rest of the night keeping watch. He found himself glancing from the door and outside, over to Iella who was still unconscious. He watched her chest rise and fall and he watched the sun slowly rise up from the pink sands. Obi-wan had drifted off a few times but eventually awoke and moved over to sit next to Anakin.

"You know, it's not your fault." Obi-Wan reminded Anakin, whose face was riddled with uncertainty. "Your Padawan did well. She did not run away, she stood and fought despite being injured because she thought it would protect us. She shows true potential. The Jedi Council was right when they said they had found the Harmony. She holds the balance of Light and Dark in her. Now we just must keep her on the light side or great harm could come to the universe."

"That's the hard part. Training her to be a Jedi is easy but attempting to keep her on the light side is another. The Dark Side is powerful and will pull her in if she becomes off balance."

They sat silent for a time; each contemplating the destiny the young Padawan must grapple with. Perhaps not realising how soon that would occur.


	3. III

When Iella opened her eyes, the sky through the rotted wood slats of the roof was pinkish white. The sun was shining through the walls of the building. The familiar smell of Master Skywalker flooded her nose as she pulled his rough cloak slightly tighter around her shoulders. There was no romance just comfort and security. She sat up, grimacing as her injured arm moved. She looked at the damage to her arm. It looked a lot worse than it felt. The cut was red and inflamed, dried blood scattered across its length. The cut was about 7 inches long. It was still open mostly but some parts had started to scab. As soon as she sat up, Anakin stood up and quickly walked over to her.

"How do you feel?" He questioned.

"It hurts but I can manage." She said as she unburied herself from Skywalker's cloak and started to stand up. She tripped on his cloak ever so slightly but it was enough for Anakin to gently grab her elbow and help her up.

"Have we figured out what we're going to do now?" She inquired. "It's not like there's any other place we can go."

"That might not be entirely accurate. Come look at this." Obi-Wan interjected from the doorway of the building. Anakin and Iella moved over to see what he was looking at. He handed Anakin the binoculars he was holding and pointed at the horizon. Anakin peered through the scope. The sun was reflected off something in the horizon creating a specular reflection. He then passed the scope to Iella and she did the same.

Obi-Wan spoke. "I think it's clear where we need to go. You up for more walking?"

And so the threesome began walking once more through the barren and lonesome sands.

Iella had felt something strange from the moment they crashed on the planet but the closer they got to the object on the horizon the stronger this feeling was. It was a feeling sunk deep into her body, like two things were pulling her apart. When they reached the foreign object they began to see that it was in fact a pyramidal structure made of an odd metallic material that shone a bright olive green. There were no doors. no windows, just solid walls. _Whatever that feeling is, it's strongest here._ Iella remarked to herself. Obi-Wan and Anakin walked the side of the structure examining it for any signs of an opening. Their efforts were fruitless.

"Well how are we supposed to find out what it is when we can't even get in!" Anakin was clearly losing patience with this planet.

They had almost given up when a wind suddenly picked up. But it wasn't just a breeze. This wind was strong and powerful, almost knocking Obi-Wan and Anakin over. The winds were whipping sand around, pelting their skin. But Iella just stood there, watching something in the storm. Then Anakin's teal eyes noticed. The sand didn't seem to be hitting her. It was as if she was wearing a shield that the sand just went around. She was perfectly calm standing as still as could be. Iella's grey eyes were focused on something in the storm. Anakin followed her gaze. A black shape was rising from within the eye of the storm. It grew taller and taller until it was almost twice as tall as Anakin. He gaped in shock as the yellow eyes of a Sith Lord emerged as the wind subsided. He turned to look at Obi-Wan who had an appalled look painted across his face. Obi-Wan and Anakin, hands poised over sabres, walked to flank Iella as the Sith spoke:

"Finally you have arrived. Now the Harmony will be over."


	4. IV

The Sith smiled with a toothless grin as he slowly sauntered closer to the Jedi, hands clasped behind his back. The three Jedi almost simultaneously reached for their sabres but before Iella could grab her sabre, her whole body froze, her eyes darted from Anakin and Obi-Wan to the Sith, and there was no cloaking the feeling of fear as it pulsated into the Force surrounding them. The Sith's hands were no longer clasped behind his back and he had one hand outstretched towards Iella. The young Padawan was being held by the Force. The two remaining Jedi Knights drew their lightsabres prepared to strike should it become necessary.

"So, you're the Harmony… how unfortunate that this universe will never know peace then." The Sith spoke to Iella in such an eerily calm tone that it sent a shiver down Anakin's back.

The Force spilled over with confusion as Iella processed what he had said to her. It was clear that she had not been told the prophecy that influenced her life in unseen ways. The Sith walked in small circles around Iella. He became particularly fascinated by the angry red cut running down her arm. Taking a long sharp-nailed finger he traced the cut applying a substantial amount of pressure. Pain pierced and blossomed in the Force and Iella's face had formed into a grimace. Anakin rushed forward to defend his Padawan, caught in a snare of emotion so unlike his years of Jedi Training. The Sith barely lifted a finger and Anakin was Force-thrown leaving a wide trail among the once-untouched sand. Obi-Wan remained still, eyes fixed on the Sith with a glare. Anakin quickly stood up and returned to his position. The Sith took advantage of this moment and in a flash had released Iella from the Force hold and was now holding an open lightsabre to her rapidly pulsing throat.

"Harmony has no place in this universe. You will come to realise this rather soon." The Sith said with a sly smile.

Anakin tried to Force probe Iella's mind to settle the amalgamation of emotions flooding the Force as her mental shields finally collapsed. Anakin felt another presence reaching out and identified it as the familiar presence of his Master, Obi-Wan. But Obi-Wan had a very different message. He was devising a plan involving all three of them. Anakin latched onto it strongly and nodded covertly to Obi-Wan. Anakin looked back at Iella to find that her eyes had gone from cloudy to strikingly clear, an almost invisible sign that she too had received Master Kenobi's message. The two uninhibited Jedi surged forward and surrounded the currently preoccupied Sith Lord. With one hand restraining Iella and the other holding the crimson blade ever closer to Iella's throat, the Sith could not use the Force to stop them. Iella closed her eyes, inhaled a deep, partially relaxed breath, and summoned the Force so discreetly that Anakin almost did not notice the small, sleek, and intricately designed lightsabre unhook itself from her belt and face blade-side towards the leg of the Sith and ignite. Anakin discovered he was more surprised she could focus so well, given her current situation. The unmistakable tangerine blade stabbed through the Sith's upper leg. As he crumpled in pain, Iella dashed out from under the crimson blade as it fell. She ripped her sabre from his leg as he cried out in pain. He crumpled to the ground kneeling but turned his face up to look at the Jedi with a seething glare.

"You think you have fooled me, Jediii?" He drew out the last syllable maliciously, taunting the Jedi with his voice. "It's too late, the damage has already been done."

The Sith lifted his arm towards Iella and curled his fingers. She crumpled down to the dark pink sand. Darkness splinters and fractures the Bond with such waves of intensity that Anakin's mental shields are almost overwhelmed. The Sith grabs one side of his ebony cloak, twists it and is gone. Obi-Wan and Anakin rush over to Iella who now lies slack on the ground. Anakin gasps when he sees her. Sable, indigo and onyx lines now branch up the left side of her face in jagged streaks. Her left eye, which is normally a stunning granite, has the yellow pallor of a Sith. The right side of her face is eerily natural; it still has the fair skin and grey eye Anakin has come to know as his Padawan. Obi-Wan presses two calloused fingers to her temples in an attempt to wake her but is unsuccessful. She is still breathing but they are shallow, laboured breaths and her pulse is normal but she will not wake from her dark slumber. Anakin attempts to clear the bond and Force-probe her mind but is only met with a solid black wall of tungsten that is Iella's mental shields. He reaches out grasping for the Bond but lost in a cloud of Dark.


	5. V

_There's a war raging in Iella's mind. Light and Dark are battling, fighting for control over her. And she can't control it. She shifts ever from the Light to the Dark, being beckoned by promises of power. But then the Light side fights back even stronger, reminding Iella that the ways of a Jedi are not about power and strength but diplomacy and integrity. When she sees the Dark all she sees is evil faces of people she's never met but when she sees the light side, she sees Masters Skywalker and Kenobi. They're looking at her and the feeling of overwhelming pride is penetrating through the force.. They walk up to her and the Bond tightens like a warm blanket and Master Skywalker pulls out his light cyan lightsabre and cuts the long braid that twists its way down her side before dropping into a very low bow. But then the Dark twists its grip tighter again and instead of seeing her Knighting ceremony she sees a lightsabre, her lightsabre, pierce through the abdomen of that very same Jedi. She stumbles back in shock while the Light Side reels from her actions but in the back of her mind there's a familiar voice whispering:_

 _You like that. You like the feeling of terror and betrayal that echoes in the Force after they're gone. Do it again…...Do it again…...Do it again…._

The familiarity that drifted and entwined through that voice with its eerie undertones was enough to make Iella grasp at the Light Side of Force like a youngling grasping a hand when they're scared. She claws and scratches her way slowly out of the Dark Side until a cloud of mist is in front of her. And calmly, she looks up and steps into it, trusting it completely, and she's out of the Darkness and back into the welcoming embrace of the Light Side and the Bond. For now. But deep in the barely suppressed recesses of her mind, the Dark is anything but gone.

The hum of the hyperdrive is the first thing Iella notices when she wakes. It gently eases her from her troubling slumber. She tries to open her eyes but soon discovers that only her right one is opening. She starts to sit up but a strong hand reaches out and lightly pushes her to lie on her back once more. It's a young hand. Not calloused and rough like Master Kenobi's. She traces the hand back up to its owner. The wary face, broad shoulders, and lean figure of Master Skywalker looks down at her.

"What happened? How did we get here? What's goi-"

"Calm down, I'll explain in a moment but not until you calm down.".

And so Master Skywalker sat down on a chair next to her cold, metal bed in the Med-Bay and wove the rest of the fragmented story into place. Yoda, knowing Masters Skywalker and Kenobi well, had requested a Republic Cruiser to follow up on them and provide any necessary assistance required considering their past of getting into rather difficult situations in very short amounts of time. This had proven to be an astute decision. The cruiser had made contact with Obi-Wan who wasn't quite sure whether to be thankful or offended that Master Yoda doesn't really trust them. The cruiser had sent a shuttle down to their location and brought the two Jedi Knights and their insensate Padawan back to security of the cruiser.

As Master Skywalker continued to ramble on about their adventures with very colourful and probably highly exaggerated details he found very difficult to contain, Iella found it harder and harder to focus on his voice. Her mind began to drift and her impaired vision was fading slowly back to the blackness that she fought so desperately to avoid. But not before she was presented with another vision. One that she wished hadn't been bestowed upon her.

 _There she stood, lightsabre ignited, in a dark, thick, raven coloured cloak standing next to another similarly dressed, but much taller, figure. Her view of her surroundings were limited because only her left eye was open. The room around her was littered with the twelve Jedi Council members. But not in their usual chairs discussing the matters at hand, but instead lying still, their corpses dispersed throughout the room. But the one that caught Iella's attention, was directly in front of her position in the centre of the room. Grand Master Yoda's small green body was spread out, shoto still in his hand, his gimer stick resting against the chair behind him. But the last two bodies were not of council members, but instead of Mirialan Jedi Master, Colpra Hemsley, and a small Jedi Initiate, no older than 12, one piece of blueish-black hair longer than the others resting behind her ear, still unbraided. And in a burst of recognition and devastating remorse, Iella understood why they were there. There was no doubt in her mind that the two had come before the council to appeal for Jedi apprenticeship._

 _She knelt down beside the small girl and reached out her hand to touch the initiate._

" _Please… please wake up, Little One… Please!"_

 _But the child did not._

 _What kind of villain have I become that I have resorted to murdering children?_

But then, the other living being, if she could call him that, turned to her. The sharp-toothed smile of Darth Maul turned to face her. She had heard stories of him, how he was the one that killed Master Qui-Gon. Maul was the monster that ripped out Master Obi-Wan's soul and caused him so much pain. He walked over to her and placed hands on her shoulders. Iella writhed away from his grasp but it was too solid.

"No! Stop! I will not murder children in your name! I will not become like you! I won't allow myself to become a tortured soul like you were!"

The vision of him faded quickly as she woken convulsing to find two very different sets of hands on her.

"Iella! Iella, calm down, you need to breathe." The strong voice of Master Kenobi was ringing in the small chamber. The firm hands of Masters Skywalker and Kenobi were attempting to restrain her as she tried to free herself from Darth Maul's fictitious grip. And then it seemed like Iella's whole mind collapsed. She shuddered violently and hid her, what she now considered, deformed face from view. She curled herself up into a very tight ball with her head tucked under her arms. The room was silent for a moment before the pneumatic door opened, the soft ruffle of a cloak and the footfalls of one in supple nerf-hide boots left the room. Gently with great care as to not alarm her, Anakin delicately reached a steady hand to touch her shoulder. He lifted up her arms, as smoothly as if he was lifting a small child, in his warm, not yet fully calloused hands and set them down at her sides while a Medi-Droid injected a sedative in her neck.

And the last thing Iella felt before being engulfed into the tepid, harmonious currents of the Force was a small pinch in her neck. But she didn't care, for she had felt so much pain and suffering today that it was very welcome change indeed.


	6. VI

Anakin was asleep in his chair, chin fallen to his chest, breathing deep and slow breaths, when Obi-Wan walked through the doors to the med-chamber.

"How is she doing?" He questioned as he nudged Anakin from his burdened sleep.

Anakin woke slowly rubbing the crick in his neck. He looked at Obi-Wan dazed before he realized that he was still waiting for an answer.

"She's been sleeping for a while now. She hasn't had an episode in a few hours but she's still restless and utters about terror and...Darkness." He paused. "The healer said he's never seen anything like this. He's out of his depth Obi-Wan and he says there's nothing he can do." Anakin divulged, slight notes of anxiety betraying his normally even-tempered voice.

"We'll just have to wait until we get back to Coruscant. Maybe Master Vokara Che can do something. Or the Council might have knowledge about her condition." A rough calloused hand reached up to stroke its owner's reddish-brown beard. Anakin was shocked that Obi-Wan could remain so calm while his Padawan lie unconscious on a bed with a illness that nobody could explain let alone treat and a rogue Sith Lord running around probably working for someone who would surely return to complete the task of eliminating the Harmony.

"Obi-Wan, the Bond is blank now. There's no trace of her presence in the Bond. I can't even feel her Force-Signature!" His voice began to rise with trepidation.

"Anakin, you must keep a level head. Becoming emotional about this will only lead to worse consequences than what you can imagine. Yes, I am worried about Padawan Iella but we must remain logical. Somebody must know something about what's going on. We will not give up hope yet but we must realise the possible outcomes of this. If Iella has truly been infected with the Dark Side we must fight vigorously to draw her back to the Light."

There was a whooshing sound as the pneumatic door to the chamber opened to reveal the face of Clone Commander Rex who stood still at the door.

"Sirs, we are approaching Coruscant at this time. We shall be landing in approximately 10 minutes." Rex's mask hid his face from the piercing eyes of the Jedi Masters who were watching him.

"Thank you Rex. That'll be all." Obi-Wan addressed with the smooth and skilful tone of a negotiator.

Rex's mask darted rapidly from the limp form of Iella back to Obi-Wan's edged face before straightening and walking out the door. The hollow sound of his footsteps echoing along the Durasteel floor mixed with the sliding of the door before they both faded completely.

15 minutes later, Padawan Iella Kestal was loaded onto a floating stretcher before being rushed into the Med-Centre of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Grand Master Yoda and Mace Windu were waiting for them when they arrived.

"Much we have to discuss, Master Kenobi. On her, the fate of the universe rests. Keep her on our side, we must."

"Yes, Grand Master Yoda." Obi-Wan respectfully acknowledged the small green Jedi's words before dropping into a deep bow. He turned on his heels and in 4 easy strides stood next to Anakin who was watching the now empty hallway where Iella had been taken. Anakin stands fixed, perfectly still with his hands folded into his cloak sleeves. There is uneasiness on his face.

Chief Healer Vokara Che strode over to the two now silent Jedis and placed a comforting hand on Anakin's shoulder before addressing him.

"You should get some rest. Go back to your quarters and I'll contact you if there's any change in Padawan Kestal's condition."

Anakin did not answer but simply continued to stare forward. Obi-Wan responded in his place.

"Thank you Master Che. I'll make sure Anakin makes it back to his quarters." Vokara bows respectfully before turning and striding away in her smooth, gliding steps, blue head-tresses swaying gracefully.

Obi-Wan and Anakin begin the long walk to the residential levels of the Temple. Obi-Wan is beginning to worry about Anakin's entanglement with his Padawan. He was _too_ attached to her that it was clouding his reasoning. He was fiercely protective of her. They stopped just outside Anakin and Iella's quarters. Obi-Wan's quarters were next door. They had managed to arrange that Anakin's new quarters be placed next to the ones Qui-Gon and Obi-wan had once shared. Anakin opened the door and stepped into his quarters before faintly, almost silently murmuring "thank you". It was clear he was exhausted both in body and mind. He desperately needed rest but the day's events were very unlikely to provide aid in reaching this. The door shut and Anakin was alone. Like the Bond that had once graced his mind and flourished with light and knowledge, intensity and courage, respect and dignity. Once developing and expanding, now desolate and impassive.


	7. VII

Anakin's shoulders felt so weighty that they threatened to crush him. He was riddled with guilt and affection; emotions that the ancient Jedi had decided were of no use to them. He had always disagreed with their teachings and now it was especially clear. The quarters, once homely with its tan colour scheme and dancing vibrantly with the energy created between Master and Padawan, was now empty and lifeless. The colours seemed to fade to grey, the memories fading with it. _No! I can't think like that. Iella is still alive, still breathing, still here, she has not joined the Force yet and she won't for a long time. She will be fine. She's strong, she's determined. She will be fine...she will be fine…she will be fine...she will be fine…..._

On the way to his room, he passed the small refresher first then Iella's room. He stopped at the threshold of her room. Her bed is still unmade (Anakin didn't care much for teaching housework), the window curtains are open, permeating the copper glimmer of the Coruscanti evening light across the small room, a picture of different lightsabre designs on the wall opposite her bed, on her desk a datapad, stylus still lying on it. Anakin, unable to contain his curiosity at this artefact, strides nimbly over to the desk and picks up the datapad. Stunning hand-drawn concept sketches of ship designs filled the pages. The drawings were so elegant, so intricate that Anakin was sure, Iella had spent a good amount of her free time drawing these. And carefully printed in small calligraphic letters at the bottom of each design was a name, the name of the ship. But the names were a far cry from the names of the current Republic vessels. Anakin smiled, it was clear his distaste for names like _Defender_ and _Resolute_ was also true with his Padawan. Her designs had names like _Amidala_ and _Riverstone_. He now had something in common with his Padawan. They both had a fondness for flying. That would be his next lesson, he decided. _If she ever had another lesson after this._ That thought hit Anakin like a Durasteel wall. His smile flitted away as quickly as it had come.

Anakin sat down on Iella's bed, smelling the sweet and spirited scent that reminded him so much of his Padawan and her personality. It breathed with wisps of tea and kisses of lemongrass, and was set with the delicate spice of sandalwood. He set the datapad down, and slowly, unfolded his tall, slim frame and walked out of her room, and into his. His felt like a far cry from Iella's. Hers twinkled with youthful energy and enthusiasm. His felt lonely and heavy. Before he fell into a deep and disturbed sleep, he considered submitting Iella's ship designs to the Quartermaster for possible prototypes. But then he would have to admit he had looked in her room, and even farther than that had meddled in her personal affairs. _But those ship designs were pretty good. And they would be beneficial to the Republic war effort even if they didn't work out._ And in one final decision, he decided it was worth it to submit the drawings. He would deal with the aftermath later.

The warm hum of the Force that Anakin was deeply immersed in was interrupted by a much louder noise. A loud, metallic beeping sound. A sound he hated and at this moment more than ever. But the beeping wasn't stopping and there was no way he could ignore it. Languidly, he sat up, and dug around for the comlink in the mess of blankets that made up his sleep pallet. He was still dressed in his dusty Jedi tunics from yesterday and the comlink must have fallen off in the night and been swallowed by his quilts. He found it when the repetitive beeping had finally brought him to his full tolerance for annoyance and bitterly he snapped into the now open comlink.

"Skywalker. What do you want?"

"Anakin. Good you're awake. I thought I would have to break into your room and wake you up myself." The lively voice of Master Obi-Wan Kenobi replied without a hint of sharpness in response to Anakin's snap.

"Master Che has determined a possible treatment for Padawan Kestal's condition." This statement brought Anakin out of bed in a matter of seconds.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" He protested. _Obi-Wan always tells me things last._

"We tried to wake you earlier but when you wouldn't wake we decided to tell you when you woke up knowing that you needed rest."

Anakin in a blur of motion, changed his stained Jedi tabards for a fresh set and barreled out of his quarters almost knocking Obi-Wan over, who was waiting outside the door.

Anakin whipped around, his tunic tails flying out in a circular motion, to face Obi-Wan. His eyes were clouded with wild emotion.

"Calm down, Anakin. Master Che will not allow you to go flying into the healers' wing like a raging wampa! She's not even sure the treatment will work." Obi-Wan tried to calm Anakin with no avail. He raised his hand towards Anakin who looked at him questioningly, his brain swarming with questions like "Why haven't we left yet?" And "Why did you wait to tell me?" Obi-Wan decided there was no other way to get him to calm down.

"Anakin," He said, bluegrey eyes connecting with striking cerulean ones. "You will calm down." Adding just a touch of force-suggestion to his statement. Well, at least what he thought was a touch. Anakin's eyes widened before he slumped to the ground in the middle of the Temple hallway asleep, breathing deeply and slowly. _Perhaps just a little too direct for him._ Obi-Wan chuckled to himself as he dragged Anakin's frame over to the side of the corridor before rousing him from his uncontrolled slumber. _He's going to never let me forget this one._ Anakin woke easily unlike previously, and in a somewhat less energetic manner, they head to the healers' wing. Master Vokara Che's Padawan sees them coming and ushers them promptly to the largest room at the end of the hall. Anakin is almost sick with the image he is present with.

Iella lies in the middle of the room on a metal table, her figure small in comparison and shrouded by tubes, wires, and IVs connected to extensive machines, beeping with her vital signs. The inky face markings still remain and in the harsh lights they almost sparkle with hidden diamonds in a galaxy of variegated colours. All the colour drains from his face as his mouth drops open. Anakin can't tell if his Padawan is actually breathing on her own or if it's just the machine doing it for her. He swallows deeply before addressing Master Che who is standing near to Iella reading a datapad, blue head-tresses looking brighter under the glaring lights of the Medi-Bay.

"Master Che, is she…" Anakin replied apprehensively, dreading the outcome. His voice trailed off before he could finish the sentence, as if saying the word would make it come true.

"No Skywalker, she's still alive. We've had some fairly close calls but your Padawan is remarkably similar to you, your master, and even your master's master. Strong, sometimes even foolishly strong. But right now, I'm glad she inherited that quality. "

Anakin managed to release a small grin at the mention of Qui-Gon's legacy being passed on.

"Now to the treatment that I suggested to Master Kenobi. I believe having Grand Master Yoda perform a mind-healing ritual may work. I already contacted him and he agreed. But Anakin, first you must understand: This will be extremely taxing on Padawan Kestal. She is already weak and this is one of the most intense mind-healing rituals. And with that risk, we must understand that it may be too much for her already distressed system. She may not survive. And if she does, we are not even sure if this will work. We have never seen anything of this magnitude before so every diagnosis is merely speculation. Do you understand the possible outcomes?"

Anakin stares from Che to his Padawan and back. He takes a deep breath, attempts to calm himself but his anxiety still flickers through him, hiding behind his eyes and lacing his voice, as he replies "Yes. I understand." He searches in the Bond once more, straining to find some small flicker of light and life in the debris and ruins of the Bond, hoping to find a way to tell Iella _Hold on, Iella. Hold onto the Light Side because the Light Side brings life._ He finds nothing. The hiss of a pneumatic door slides open and the small green shape of Master Yoda hobbles in with his gimer stick. The three other Jedi bow low, and respectfully as the years of intensive training took over.

"Begin at once, I must. Leave us."

Master Vokara Che escorts Kenobi and Skywalker out of the room and locks the door behind them. Obi-Wan excuses himself to go speak with the Council and makes Master Che promise him that she will check on Anakin to make sure he is alright. She offers Anakin a quiet room down the hall to meditate while Yoda is performing the ritual. He gratefully accepts, thankful for a place to meditate away from the prevailing solitude of his quarters. In the room there is nothing but a chair and a bed. He moves the chair to the corner of the room and sits down on the cold durasteel floor. But he does not care that it is cold because it only mirrors how he feels.

And with tender peace in his heart, resting like bird that could fly away with any tremor,

he falls into a deep meditation.


	8. VIII

Anakin was only disturbed from his burdensome meditation when Master Vokara Che appeared at the door holding a blanket and a steaming pot of tea. At first, Anakin was slightly agitated by her sudden presence, although he began to grapple with how lonely he really was and her compassion and consideration for him even after everything he had put her through was touching. He accepted the tea gratefully and drank the entire cup in a matter of seconds. It burned his mouth but he made no move to stop. _I deserve it._ Despite that he was wearing his thick cloak he was still chilled. Che draped the blanket over his shoulders before standing back up and moving to leave the room. But before she could, Anakin interrupted the silence that they had shared.

"Is there any word?"

Master Che inhaled a deep, courage-summoning breath before replying. She had dealt with Anakin before but she wasn't sure what to expect with the news she was about to deliver.

"About 10 minutes ago, Master Yoda stumbled out of the room, fell to his knees and said only 'Abundant, conflict is. A challenge, we face.' before collapsing from exhaustion. He was taken back to his chambers and is now resting. Padawan Kestal's condition has deteriorated rapidly. She is barely breathing now, and her heart rate is incredibly slow. I suggest you start your goodbyes."

Master Che sank to her knees beside Anakin and placed a quiet hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. Ocean blue eyes, troubled with a maelstrom of uncertainty, looked up to meet sensitive indigo eyes.

"Anakin," Her voice had gone from the formality and professional detachment of a Jedi Healer to the sympathetic tone of a close friend "There's a war raging in her body. She is being torn apart. Even if she does survive, the physical damage will heal with time but the mental damage will be much harder to deal with. It is difficult to say if she will ever be able to return to her Padawan standing. You can see her now. I called for Obi-Wan. He is on his way from the Council chambers."

She gripped his shoulder once more, tighter than before. She stood up and gracefully strode out the room.

Anakin, took one shuddering breath in an attempt to calm himself but it was pointless. In one swift motion, his entire composure had collapsed. He sank deeper onto his knees. He grieved and grieved openly not letting his years of training stop him because for this one time in his entire life and every experience with it, he had never felt so alone and so hopeless. He had no control over his emotions, he felt nothing like a Jedi and in an unnatural manner, he liked it. The Force had abandoned him, leaving him an empty shell, a vessel open for anything to enter. And he was vulnerable, uncontrolled, and a perfect target.

Obi-Wan was hastily striding down the hallway of the Healers' wing headed for the largest room at the end of the corridor. But a noise stopped him, a noise so foreign to the usually solitary halls of the Temple that it would make anyone stop. It was coming from a small exam room towards the end of the hallway. Unable to stop his desire to help, he burst into the room and discovered a sight he thought he'd never see again. His once-Padawan, now a Jedi Knight with a Padawan of his own, was folded under a blanket shaking. Anakin was convulsing with violent sobs, his hands raking through his long chestnut-brown hair. In a moment, Obi-Wan had closed the door and locked it, dropped to the ground, and enveloped the tall body of his former Padawan, as best he could. Obi-Wan knew he was breaking every rule he had ever been taught or had taught but this was as best a time for doing so as any.

He remembered a time about three weeks after Anakin had assented to become his Padawan, sitting on the edge of Anakin's bed holding the narrow-shouldered boy in his arms. That day will forever be emblazoned on both their memories. A much younger Anakin weeping and shaking, crying things like "It wasn't my fault….I had to... I didn't want to." That was the day that Anakin marked the ancient Jedi rite of passage, the first time taking a life. It was an inevitable action. At all points in a Jedi's life they must take a life in order to protect. Anakin hadn't had the luxury of a clean lightsabre killing with no blood spilled as the blade cauterized the wound, he had instead been disarmed and was forced to stab the opponent with a sharp scalpel. It was a horrifying scene. There was blood everywhere, on the floor, on Anakin's clothes, and even a bloody handprint smeared down Anakin's face which mixed with his tears. Anakin hadn't cried in front of Obi-Wan since.

Obi-Wan did nothing to try to persuade Anakin to control his emotions. A small part of him realised that he was committing a cardinal sin against his training but he shut that part of his mind out. Anakin needed to release his emotions from the restraints he had been forced to hide them in. Keeping them bottled up would only harm him and others further. It was a sight to see indeed. Master and former Padawan, crouched on the ground, one convulsing with turbulent sobs, and the other wrapped protectively around him with his arms engulfed by a cloak, hushing him, comforting him, running soothing steady hands up and down the other's arms and rubbing gentle circles along his back.

When Anakin's gasping sobs quieted, Obi-Wan pushed Anakin into a sitting position and with a gentle hand, brushed the hair from his face. Anakin stood up quickly and straightened his robes, desperately trying to maintain any last snippets of his reputation. And in three shaky strides he moves towards the door seeming to thoroughly deny the events that had just taken place. Taking one large breath to calm himself and wiping his eyes once more in a vain attempt to conceal his unkempt eyes, Anakin straightened and made his mind clear after years of practice, opened the door and walked into the bright med-bay hallway. Obi-Wan watched Anakin leave before realising how distressing the Jedi Code really is.

 _A close friend of his is dying and he wants to express his emotions but is forced by ancient traditions and years of training to show no emotion, to reveal nothing. Why?_

Obi-Wan smacked himself mentally for that thought. Questioning the Force is a dangerous game. And questioning the Jedi Code? That would surely earn him a wallop in the shins from Master Yoda's solid gimer stick.

He stood up, stiff muscles protesting, and followed Anakin out the door. Master Vokara Che gave Obi-Wan an inquisitive look but when Kenobi does not respond she bows gently, respecting Masters Skywalker and Kenobis' privacy.


	9. IX

_Pain. Only pain. Ripping through her body in wild swells. The Dark had infected her body, more so than before and now the Light Side was fleeting glance in her memories. She heard a familiar rasping voice calling to her from that small glimmer and tried to grasp it desperately in hope that it would lessen the amount of pain coursing through her already weak frame. And in one last hope attempt a fragile heartstring of Light came flowing through the dark. Iella clutched that thread as it lead her ever closer to the bright light and familiar voice. She was just moments from being free of this place when a oppressive wave of Dark washed once more over Iella and in a scream she was dragged back into the place of tormented souls. And once more, pain was the only thing she could feel. She was powerless in body, mind, and spirit. She felt as though her heart was only beating once per minute. Her breaths were shallow and laboured. Her mind was ravaged and falling apart._

 _She cried out, begging for her Master, for the remnants of their shattered bond, each piece she grasped for was destroyed the moment she touched it. She longed for tepid climate of Coruscant, the ochre light of morning promising gifts of a new day, filtering in through the windows to bathe her room with harmonious colours and the Force singing to her in the beautiful music of its creation. She wished for the energy between Master and Padawan flooding the Bond and their quarters in vibrant expressions. She yearned for the tranquil meditations they shared after long trainings, the feelings of exhaustion, and pain drifting into the Force to be dispersed, the Bond tightening softly around Master and Padawan, warming them, calming them, all the concerns and emotions of the day fading away and_

 _replaced by feelings of enthusiasm and vitality, inspired by images and moved by music. She missed the gentle reprimanding Obi-Wan still gave Anakin; the whimsical synergy that danced between the two of them had always made Iella smile. The lessons taught from Master to Padawan and Padawan to Master, the positive ones and the negative ones. The ones that impacted Iella positively and the ones that served as valuable reminders to Iella about what life as a Jedi is about. The ones that came with tears of agony and the ones that came with tears of elation. Both equalling each other out. Like the Light Side and the Dark Side. They both work together, never outweighing each other, bringing the right balance. Too much of the Dark Side and the galaxy falls to chaos and destruction. Creation replaced by Destruction. One provides, the other consumes. But always together in Harmony. Harmony. Why does that word bring a flicker of recognition to her devastated mind? Why was the Sith so focused on it and did Masters Skywalker and Kenobi look alarmed when he brought it up?_

 _A ribbon of knowledge seemed to float over to Iella and engulfed her in a flood of prophecies and destinies, futures and pasts. She saw glimpses of herself calming a powerful storm, a terrifying mix of dark purple skies, blue and red lightning. She saw the Council Chambers, all 12 members sitting, facing Masters Anakin and Obi-Wan, describing the consequences of failing to train her properly. She saw her body, lying cold on the ground, and Anakin leaning over her, holding her, clutching her, his face full of unkempt tears. She saw a Jedi, a broad shouldered, bearded man who smelled of earthly tea and fresh lemongrass. She did not know him but the bond between Obi-Wan and this mysterious Jedi was strong enough to express his importance without words. And over and over in the vision was the word: Harmony. Mentioned in each image, on the cusp of everybody's minds, painted through her destiny, filling every space, every gap, woven in everything, always there._

 _And she understood what she was. She was the Harmony. She was sent out of the vision in a sudden and violent expulsion, gasping. And she understood what she needed to do. The Harmony was infected with too much dark to ever change. But if the Harmony were to be gone, everything would be restored to the galaxy as it was before. Her body and mind had fought so hard to stay alive, stay awake, that as her vision blackened and the pain began to fade, her body seemed to accept this decision completely and she slipped into the welcoming, homely lullaby of the Force, feeling the mist overcome her and all her misery and pain fade away. And for once in her life, she was at peace._


	10. X

When Anakin saw Master Vokara Che sprint into Iella's room, a shard of anxiety stabbed his heart. He instantly stood up from the chair where he had been typing a mandatory report on a datapad. It clattered to the floor which a sharp _tick_ but Anakin didn't hear it over the deafening drumbeat of his heart that was filling his ears. He followed Che quickly into the room and almost wished he hadn't. The glaring noises of the alarms was ringing in the small room. His troubled eyes glanced to the heart rate monitor and saw only a single line. It was completely flat. The healers were rushing in and out of the room. After what seemed like only seconds but must have been minutes, the healers stepped back from the table, panting and defeated. The heart rate monitor was still producing the singular monotone sound that was burning itself into Anakin's heart and mind. _I'll never forget that sound._

"We did all we can. She's with the Force now." Che whispered morosely to the assembled, reticent healers.

Master Vokara Che turned around and was shocked to find Anakin standing in the corner of the room. She had been unaware that he had entered and she could tell by the white pallor of his face, the crumpled condition of his normally noble body, and the overwhelming heartbreak in his eyes that he had been there the whole time. He kept his eyes trained forward, looking blankly at his Padawan. Master Vokara Che reached forward to comfort him but before she could the defeated eyes of Anakin Skywalker shifted towards her, a layer of distressed moisture forming under their painful rims. He blinked and a single hopeless tear curved down his face, making a streak of crestfallen gleam tracing down his cheekbones. And in a rush of emotions: anger, sorrow, frustration, guilt, and loss, Anakin Skywalker ran out of the room leaving a lingering current of air as his cloak trailed behind him.

Anakin ran and ran. He ran through the long hallways of the temple. He ran past rows of initiates quickly ushered out of the way of the raging Jedi Master. Other knights and their Padawans sent concerned and curious glances his way, everybody knew what had happened on Ostriea but not this development. There was some disturbance in the usually peaceful atmosphere in the Temple so they could tell something had changed. Anakin was too blinded by grief to care about their glances. Too many thoughts rushing through his head were blocking out the rest of the world. _No… Too soon… Too young… No no no… Not gone…_ He ran for the one place he knew that he could escape. He ran out of the last archway into the lush, roaring garden that was the Room of a Thousand Fountains. Obi-Wan had shown him this place when he had first become his Master. Anakin and Obi-Wan used to spend hours meditating in the room. But the vivid memories were far away and out of reach this time. He collapsed to the ground breathless and sat down in the thick, soft grass. He forced himself to sit in meditation, and for the first time since returning to Coruscant, he felt overcome with peace. That was the wonderful property of this place, it could take the roughest, most bruised and scarred heart and soothe over the wounds like bacta over a burn. It washed away all thoughts of sorrow and pain in the sound of the roaring falls.

Obi-Wan knew what had happened right away. He had been striding down the corridors towards the Medi-Centre when he was struck with a deep-rooted pain that swept through the Force in the temple like a blaze. He stumbled and fell against the wall, sliding to the ground and rubbing his throbbing head, trying to clear his eyes. A group of younglings with their Master undoubtedly going to classes, noticed Obi-Wan crouched against the wall. The master rushed over to help Obi-Wan, the younglings looking concerned a few paces away. The master helped him stand upright and Obi-Wan thanked him and continued on his way. The master turned back and ushered his younglings away from Master Kenobi. The rest of the walk was rushed, quiet, and laced with pain, despair, and torment. Vokara Che ran up to Obi-Wan when she saw him enter the Healer's wing.

"Padawan Kestal's heart stopped, there was nothing we could do. Master Skywalker ran out of the wing and nobody has been able to reach him."

"Yes, I know Master Che. And I have a good idea where he went. I just came from speaking with Master Yoda, he believes there is a way to save Padawan Kestal. I will find Anakin and bring him here, you wait for Master Yoda to arrive."

Vokara Che, bowed in understanding and turned to return to her duties. Once more, Obi-Wan took off running down the hallways because there was one place, one memory lingering in his mind. He knew where Anakin had gone because that's where Obi-Wan would have gone, his soft boots padding down the halls as he ran.

The Force felt…different. It was warm and vibrant, blossoming with vitality and life. _Reminds me of Iella_ , Anakin thought to himself. Then it hit him like Yoda's gimbal stick connecting with his shins, hard and fast. He recoiled as a fresh wave of emotion surged and was calmed by the sound of the fountains. _The Force was vibrant like Iella because that's where she was now. She was at peace after a life of turmoil. It was warm with a new soul. His Padawan and the Force were one._ He fought to keep his emotions in line, and partially managed this time. _I've done far too much crying today. She wouldn't want that._ He continued to feel the Force, enveloping him, comforting him. But a small thread was tugging at his mind. _Go away, I'm comfortable here. I don't want to leave._ But the thread wouldn't leave. It pulled stronger until there was no way to ignore it. Anakin opened his eyes to find the sky-blue eyes of Master Obi-Wan Kenobi watching him.

"So you really do listen to me. Hmm, I wonder why that never worked when you were an apprentice. Listen, I spoke to Master Yoda and he is convinced he has found a solution. We must get to the Medi-Centre at once."

Anakin's head shot up at this. In a moment, he had unfolded his soaring frame from the grass and was standing at attention. And once again, they ran. Obi-Wan made a mental note to stop running so much. It really is exhausting.

When they arrived, Master Yoda had not entered yet so they waited in silence until the door slid open to reveal an panting Padawan with the small green Jedi Master on his back. The Padawan had obviously had been asked by Yoda to rush him to the Medi-Centre and the apprentice, not being able to deny the head of the Jedi Council, had to comply. The small green Jedi had in his long spindly green hands, a glowing open Holocron. The aquamarine panels of glass were brightly swirling with shades of azure, beryl, and indigo.

The Padawan set the Grand Master down before bowing deeply and dashing back to his duties. The door hissed shut echoing in the tense silence. They all watched as the small Jedi walked over to the bed where a white sheet covered Iella's lifeless body before its preparation for the pyre. He uncovered her head, neck and shoulders from the sheet before moving to sit on a stool and beckoning Anakin to stand opposite of him. Anakin picked up her cooling hand and squeezed it tight in an attempt to keep his tears from spilling. Yoda opened the holocron and in a luminous flare, it revealed a single ring.

It was a stunning piece of aureate and silvered metal. The pieces twisted together like the trunks of the massive trees on Endor. The balance of the metal was equal, each one with the same amount as the other. Using the Force, Yoda carefully lifted the ring making sure not to touch it, and placed it on Iella's middle finger. The ring lit up in a blinding, garish light causing Obi-Wan to cover his eyes with his hand. Bright orange and coral swirls of colour branched up the right side of Iella's face to twist with the dark indigo streaks. They curled and tangled with the darkness, equaling them out. Her once yellow eye was slowly fading to its granite grey. When it subsided, Iella still lay lifeless on the table. Anakin's head dropped to his chest, once more defeated. The room was silent once more.

Then in a sudden, violent action, Iella took one gasping breath and began convulsing with coughs. Anakin whipped his head up at this action as Obi-Wan released the breath he didn't know he had been holding. Yoda climbed down the stool and walked out of the room without saying a further word. Anakin helped Iella sit up and hugged her tightly. His Padawan had returned, and with her, the Force, the Bond, and his peace of mind.


	11. XI

It took Anakin a few moments to realise Iella was struggling to stop coughing. His panic returned as he quickly released her as if he had been scalded. She was coughing in fits, each cough shaking her whole body in strong heaves. Obi-Wan ran to Master Che who was appalled to find the girl who was dead a matter of minutes ago, alive and awake. But that sudden bewilderment was replaced by action as she hurriedly grabbed an oxygen mask and fit it over Iella's face.

"Iella, Iella you need to take deep breaths, big deep breaths." Master Che soothed as Iella's coughing as it was replaced by deep, but shaky inhalations.

Then came the process of tests. Checking every system, every organ, every part to be sure that she was alright. And she was. The only sign of her illness that remained was the sable and persimmon markings that branched up in contrasting swirling and jagged contours to cover both sides of her face. She still had the large laceration on her arm but it was healing to leave a large scar across her forearm. She was still required to stay in the Medi-Centre for another 2 days, much to Iella's chagrin. She just wanted to go home. The white walls of the Medi-Centre were too bare and sterile. She longed for the warm tan colours of home. But even Anakin, the man who hated the Medi-Centre and would frequently escape against medical advice, believed Iella should stay. She'd been having violent nightmares and coughing fits that would completely drain her. Anakin stayed with her, through every nightmare and seizure, comforting her, calming her because he knows that if they were in opposite places, she'd do the same. The two days passed slowly and Iella was released only on the condition that she would rest for another 2 days before only starting very light training. Master Che made this very clear to both parties. Telling Iella sternly but turning to the person that it was truly directed too. She looked Anakin in the eyes and slowly repeated the sentence, making sure that he understood. He nodded with a slight smirk echoing on his face, it was clear that this situation had happened before.

Slowly, they made their way down the corridors and elevators to the residential levels. Iella was still a little unsteady on her feet but determination and tenacity resonated through the Bond. She was unwilling to let Skywalker help her, determined to show that she was strong enough to do it herself. She was only 13 years old but already she was showing more strength and intelligence in her training than most of the older Padawans. As they entered the quarters, tranquility and comfort permeated the Force and Bond as Iella returned home. By the time they made it back, she was quite tired having not walked in a few days. She retired to her room while Anakin prepared the evening meal. The quarters once more rang with the feeling of home as Anakin allowed a small smile to emerge on his face. The road had been long and hard, troubled and grief-stricken, and they were still moving, they were closer to their destination, a place Anakin thought they would never make it to after Iella's collapse.

An hour later, Iella emerged from her room, dressed in a fresh set of robes, the light khaki and bronze accent the streaks that are, according to Master Che, now permanently emblazoned on her face. There's a knock on the metal door to their quarters and Iella walks quickly over to the door to reveal the spirited face of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. A smile cracks Iella's face for the first time in a while and the whole room lit up. In a rush of exuberance, Iella enveloped, or at least attempted to, Obi-Wan's broad physique in a hug. He glanced at Anakin, shocked for a moment at the Padawan's actions, before returning the hug with enthusiasm. She had seen him in the Medi-Centre over the past few days but this was the first opportunity for her to actually hug him. She released him and they sat down for the evening meal. Discovering that Anakin's cooking still had not improved even after Obi-Wan's multiple attempts at giving him cooking lessons, the trio headed to Dex's Diner instead. Obi-wan had offered to cook but Anakin did not need any of his sarcastic comments about Anakin's cooking skills and Iella needed to get out of the Temple for a bit. They dined and chatted sharing colourful tales about each other. Obi-Wan had an abundant amount of stories about Anakin from his Padawan days. Iella was enthusiastically immersed in these stories, a wide grin plastered across her face the whole time. Anakin was less than enthusiastic about having these experiences shared and constantly tried to correct Obi-Wan in an a fruitless attempt to keep his reputation. Obi-Wan was not letting Anakin get the upper hand however and he continued to share countless stories. By the end, Anakin's cheeks were a surprising shade of beetroot.

They returned to their quarters later, stomachs full and hearts joyous. Iella sitting down on the couch, datapad and stylus in hand, sketching, Anakin writing a report, and Obi-Wan returning to his quarters. After only a few minutes, the steady tapping of Iella's stylus slowed to a stop. Anakin, surprised by the sudden silence, looked over at Iella to find her head slumped over, fast asleep a small grin perched on her lips. He chuckled to himself before carefully lifting her up and tucking her into her sleep pallet. He returned to the common room and picked up the datapad. Beautifully penned in electronic ink, was the most elegant ship design he had ever seen. The wings curved in graceful arcs, the body thinned to a point creating a stunning and efficient design that echoed all the style and grace of the best buildings of Coruscant, the strength and stability of the Jedi Temple, and the effortless beauty and sheer tenacity of nature and the Force.

Once more at the bottom of the page, the ship name was penned, _Skywalker_.

And Anakin smiled.


	12. XII

Iella woke up coughing and gasping for air. Once more her asylum in the placid, tranquil depths of the Force was revoked. The once-shattered Bond, now reforging and expanding, rang with her alarm. She had experienced another vision, this one much darker and foreboding than the others.

 _It showed a river, calm, cool and temperate. A shrouded figure knelt on the layers of ashen rocks against the shores of the water. Iella was perched on a rock across the creek. It was clear the figure was not aware she was there. Maybe she wasn't. She crouched down to provide a better angle of the figure behind the hood. She gasped silently. There under a sable cloak, was the sharp-angled face of Anakin Skywalker. He gazed into the water, tenacity and uncontrolled power gleaming behind his eyes. And with one muscular hand, he reached out and stirred the water, causing small ripples to spread out and splash the shore like the Force flutters with life. The waves subsided and an even darker image was presented. In the reflection in the water, was not the face of Anakin Skywalker but the masked face of another man. A man Iella did not know. His face was built of polished metal. But it was not his face. This had none of the natural, stunning features of Anakin Skywalker. This jutted out in weird angles creating a threatening and imperial countenance. The Force quivered with trepidation, rancor and acrimony._

The sudden reverberation of alarm that shook the Bond, woke Anakin up as well. He sat up quickly. The usual quiet and tranquil nature of their quarters was interrupted by a dry coughing coming from the other side of the wall. He flew out of bed and slid open the door to Iella's room. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, blanket still wrapped partially around her. She was trying to take deep breathes but something had obviously spooked her. Master Che had warned him about this. She had said that Iella's respiratory system had been affected by the lack of oxygen for an extended period of time. She would mostly likely have breathing troubles for a few weeks. And with continued mind-healing sessions with Yoda, at the recommendations of Master Che, Iella's nightmares were getting better but were still far from being gone. He walked over to her and sat down on her bed. He reached out a comforting hand and rubbed large smooth circles on her shaking back in an effort to calm her. He could sense the uncertainty and defeat in the Bond. He took the tendrils and cast them into the Force to be smoothed over and disappear. There were no tears in her eyes, no tremors in her voice, only turbulence in her soul.

Iella was determined to not let Anakin discover the true nature of her turmoil. She would have to speak to Master Yoda first. Steeling herself, she turned to face her Master who was sitting beside her, arm wrapped around Iella's back. Solid cinereal eyes locked with much softer beryl ones. She managed to stop herself from coughing for a minute.

"I'm sorry Master. I apologize for waking you. I'm alright now."

Anakin was not buying her steely gaze. He probed her mind but was met only with extremely fortified mental shields. Only the most senior Padawans could create a barrier so strong but sitting next to him was a 13 year old, with the skill of a 20 year old. His mind was a fluctuating mix of pride and unease. Iella had normally been fairly open with her mind towards Anakin but this was completely unexpected. _Whatever she's hiding, it's undoubtedly agitating her._

"Iella, you don't have to apologize. Master Che said it would be a time before your nightmares would stop." He said, acting like everything was okay, but deep in his mind, that act was a contradiction of what he felt.

"I'm okay now. You can go back to sleep. I'll be alright." Iella objected.

Her eyes were clouded with storms though she did her best to hide them. Anakin looked at her, his eyes protesting her request. But she was not relenting. _If she had to learn anything from Obi-Wan, it of course had to be his ability to win any argument._ Taking a deep breath and squeezing her shoulder once more, he stood up and returned to his room. Lying on his bed, Anakin did anything but sleep. He stared up at the tan ceiling, trying to figure out what could be the matter. He could tell through the Bond that Iella had fallen asleep a few minutes later but it was loose, troubled sleep. He closed his eyes and in a flash, his chrono was going off. It rang 6 in the morning.

The peach rays of the early Coruscanti sun were permeating through his curtains making striped glimmers of light on the wall. Listlessly he got up, and ambled out into the common area. Perched on the meditation cushion eyes closed gently, bathed in the pleasant light through the window was Iella, the light making her long wavy chestnut hair glow. The markings on her face were brighter today and almost sparkled. The dark marks glinted in indigo and raven like the night sky. The tangerine swirls were bright and fiery, the gold tones of the sunlight making them stand out. _Qui-Gon would be proud. He had always said that meditation in the morning was important. He passed that on to Obi-Wan who passed it on Anakin and Iella._ Iella was more like Obi-Wan when it came to meditation. Obi-Wan was very fond of meditating. He had tried to teach the same values to Anakin but Anakin wasn't very enthusiastic. Iella, however, loved it and continues to do it often as it calms her and focuses her. Obi-Wan loves to make jabs at Anakin about how Iella listens to Obi-Wan and Anakin didn't, which according to Obi-Wan, makes Iella the wiser one.

Silently, Anakin moved sit on the cushion opposite it from her and fell into meditation with her. They let the Force flow through them and around them, letting it teach them the ebb and flow of the universe. The Bond beat with the promises of a new day and new lessons. Anakin had promised to start her training again. They were set to meet with Jedi Knight Kit Fisto for a sparring lesson at 8. Anakin had chosen to speak to Kit Fisto about a lesson because Fisto was the expert on Shii-Cho. Anakin hoped it would show Iella that even as times change, some things are constant. Anakin was determined to have Iella become proficient in every type of sabre combat because it would provide her an advantage over her opponents. Obi-Wan had already taught Iella of Ataru, a highly acrobatic form while Ki-Adi-Mundi had taught her Makashi, a much more graceful and ornate dueling style. Iella showed a preference as well as a talent for Ataru where she used her lithe and swift body to flip high above her opponents and dive tightly under striking blades. He also hoped that Fisto's contagious smile and personality would brighten Iella up a bit. She had been melancholy recently for reasons she would not divulge.

After about an hour of meditation, they stood up and began getting ready for the day. Iella went into the refresher and came out a half hour later, in heather grey tabards and black leggings, hair in a long plait. Her Padawan braid barely reached her shoulder and was marked with a single cardinal red bead. _That was a hard lesson learned,_ Anakin thought _. I don't ever want to remember what she went through. I would not have been able to survive what she did. "A red bead for strength, both physical and mental. The smallest coffins are the heaviest."_ Her lightsabre hung at her side, polished and gleaming. They ate a quick meal before walking side by side to the training salles. They walked the entire way in silence. Neither of them had much to talk about, or at least not much they _wanted_ to talk about. They arrived to the room to find Knight Fisto running through the steps of Shii-Cho in warmup. This room was one of the few in the temple with floor to ceiling windows letting the golden sun colour the room brightly. It was common to see curious citizens stop in their air cars to peer in the windows at the off chance of glimpsing the elusive Jedi in action. Kit Fisto noticed they had entered by the burst of Force energy that flowed into the room. He strode over to them giving them one of his trademark smiles. Anakin and Iella bowed in unison. Anakin had meant to talk to Kit about Iella's condition but had gotten swept up with everything that had happened. While Kit instructed Iella to stretch and warm up herself, Anakin silently motioned for him to come over.

"Kit, my padawan has been having a…difficult time. You heard what happened?" Anakin whispered.

"Of course I have, it's been all over the temple. I hope there were no ill effects." Fisto replied, flashing Anakin a hesitant smile.

"Unfortunately there were but she is recovering nicely and is ready to start up again."

The Nautolan Knight smiled warmly, a touch of sorrow on his lips. Iella finished warming up and was now waiting patiently in the centre of the training room. While Fisto moved over to the young Padawan and began helping her technique in the first steps of Shii-Cho, Anakin sat down on a bench nearby and felt the Bond thrum with enthusiasm and exhilaration. Anakin fell into a tranquil meditation, trusting that Fisto would take good care of his Padawan. He opened his eyes a half-hour later to find Fisto and Iella sparring in such fluid motions it looked like a dance. His lightsabre would jab at her and hers would respond in a fluid and powerful block, sending Fisto's lightsabre spinning on the ground, to be force-pulled to Iella's hands and opened. She would extinguish both lightsabres before bowing to Fisto, in a silent _Thank You_ before returning the sabre to his hands. Noticing that Anakin had emerged from his meditative state, Kit Fisto strolled over to him and sat down next to him panting, a smile spread across his pale green face.

"Your Padawan is very gifted at Shii-Cho. Are you sure she has never received any training in this art? She learned faster and has better form and strategy than most of the Padawans twice her age! And don't get me started on the quality of her katas!" Fisto's smile widened with each sentence until it branches across from side to side, engulfing his face. "I think it would be good for her if you were to demonstrate by having a little sparring match. Nothing too strenuous but a light lesson."

Gladly, Anakin agreed. He stood up, straightened his tunic, and grabbed his lightsabre.

The match had just begun.


	13. XIII

Anakin was glad to finally use his lightsabre skills for something besides battle. He hadn't had a chance to have a proper sparring lesson in far too long.

To him, a lightsabre duel was like a chess match, each move carefully thought out, each outcome carefully analysed, dissecting each move, establishing the form of the other fighter. Each time Iella and Anakin locked sabres, Anakin was stunned. His Padawan was a better fighter than he was and throughout each move, each parry, each block, she remained perfectly calm and made each move effortless and precise. It didn't matter to him that the goal of the Master is to make the Padawan better than the master, he just wanted to win.

To Iella, a lightsabre duel was like a symphony, each move a note that an instrument must play. If the note is out of tune, the move doesn't work. The moves must be graceful and refined, and combined with others it creates a powerful music that moves the body and soul. She was completely in control, remembering all the teachings of Masters Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Knight Fisto. _Remain calm and collected. An overemotional Jedi makes a fool in battle. Listen to Force, and time the movements to match to make it both rhythmic and powerful. Anger only breeds hate._

Anakin was getting frustrated with this sparring match. Iella was winning, both offensive and defensive. His Padawan was beating him. Normally a Jedi Master would be proud that their Padawan was doing so well but Anakin thought that this was too easy for her. She would never learn this way, not with the war on.

So he pushed harder and lunged for her, becoming more offensive. They passed the threshold of just a lesson. This went way farther. He was overwhelmed with emotion, and he was back on General Grievous' ship. Fighting for his life once more. He fought Grievous and only Grievous. Grievous started to laugh with that evil metallic cackle of his. Anakin pounced and lunged, diving closer and striking sabres more often. Grievous's moves began to slow and the Force resonated and rang with alarm and disorientation and terror in the tense air that filled the room. He didn't hear the shouts and pleas of "Stop!" and the outcries of fading effort. He knocked Grievous to the ground and held him there with his foot, fury permeating the Force in potent crests. Grievous begged for mercy.

"You have killed too many of my comrades, my _friends,_ to beg for mercy, you heartless monster." Anakin spat.

He lifted his sabre high and began to swing down in a single deadly strike. But before his blade could connect with the metal neck of his arch enemy, an emerald blade intersected his. But it was not Grievous'. His eyes whipped up to see who would impede him, prepared to fight once more. But the blade was not held by a droid, but instead the green face of Kit Fisto, black eyes wide in confounded shock. But the background behind Fisto was not the bridge of a cruiser but of the skyline of Coruscant. Grievous' large, intimidating image fading to be replaced by the weakened body of his Padawan, lying on the ground, whole body rocking with violent coughs and struggled breaths, eyes, clouded with terror, flashing from Anakin's face to the lightsabre in his hand.

Anakin fell to his knees, his lightsabre rolling out of his hand, and his eyes clearing from hatred to regret. Seeing that Anakin was no longer a threat, Kit Fisto returned his lightsabre to his belt in a rapid movement before dropping down beside Iella who was struggling to breathe. He reached an arm under her shaking back and helped her sit up. She was still coughing, stronger than before, and her hands were shaking in fear. Her lightsabre was lying a few metres away. Flashing Anakin a withering and perturbed glare, Fisto lifted Iella, her willowy frame draped loosely over his strong arms, and rushed out of the room in a rustling of robes. Anakin dropped his head to his chest. _Master Yoda is right. I am too emotional. No! This goes beyond emotional! I almost murdered my Padawan! And I didn't even realize. If Kit hadn't been there, what would have happened? Did I really almost kill Iella? What have I done?!_

Iella was shaking violently in Kit Fisto's arms as he paced down the corridors. Whether from coughs, sobs, or chills he didn't know. His heart twinged for her with every laboured breath. Iella had just returned to training, excited to start up again, just to have this happen. He rushed past Masters and Padawans, younglings and crechélings, each time he felt their curiosity and concern echo in the Force that flows so freely through the temple. He would have to speak to the Council about Skywalker's actions. They went far above a simple sparring match. These were actions forged out of pure anger. They were dangerous, and almost, to Padawan Kestal, deadly. _What would have happened then? If Anakin had succeeded in his delirious task, what repercussions would have resulted? Surely Skywalker would be expelled from the Order._ It seemed like an eternity before they reached the Medi-Centre. Fisto had already alerted Master Che to the situation so that she could be prepared for their arrival. As the Jedi Knight and the Padawan crossed the threshold of the Medi-Centre, Che rushed forward with a hover-stretcher, a group of healers behind her. As Kit laid the convulsing Padawan down, Master Che placed two cobalt blue fingers on Iella's temples sending the Padawan into a healing trance, her breaths still laboured and shaky. _But at least she stopped coughing._ An oxygen mask was thrust over her face, and a blanket draped over her shaking frame before the stretcher was pushed into another room. Fisto decided he would have to deal with the aftermath right now. Leaving Skywalker alone would only allow his emotions to simmer and boil.

Steeling himself, he strided out of the Healers' Wing and back to the training salle. Before entering the room, he put his strongest mental shields up and looked in the room first. You could almost taste the heartache in the room as it penetrated the Force and sat stagnant in the atmosphere. Still sitting on his knees in the centre of the room, was the almost completely motionless form of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. Fisto felt a pang of sorrow prick his heart but he buried it. He would have to face Skywalker earnestly. On nimble feather-light feet, Fisto paced over to the crouched figure, being cautious as to not startle the man. Slowly, he knelt opposite Anakin. He dared not touch him, for he was unsure if Anakin's mind was entirely there. He had considered the possibility of retaliation from Anakin but had decided he would take that chance. It had been almost a quarter of an hour since Fisto had left, but it didn't look like Anakin had moved at all. His head was bent to his chest and his breathing was so quiet, Kit thought he hadn't heard it at all. Anakin's head lifted a little. Distraught aquamarine eyes glanced up weakly. There was not the fiery glare he had held earlier, but the remorseful gaze that made his guilt almost palpable. Kit decided that he needed to change his approach.

"I'm sorry. Tell her I'm sorry." He whispered so quietly Fisto almost didn't hear him.

"You can tell her yourself. Master Che says she'll be fine, she just wants to keep Iella overnight for observation. Master Skywalker, do you remember what happened?"

"I was sparring with her and then it changed and I was back on General Grievous' ship. It just felt so real. I was alone, no one else was there and I was overwhelmed and I was fighting for my life." A pause and then the baritone voice suddenly dropped so quietly as if the words frightened him. "What really happened?"

"Everything was going extremely well. Padawan Kestal was blocking every blow perfectly, and sending some good offensive ones your way. But then you got this gleam in your eye like a spark, and you started to overpower her. You wouldn't stop. You wouldn't listen to my shouts. Iella was bewildered, she had no idea what you were doing. You beat her to the ground and forced her lightsabre out of her hands and across the room. Your foot was pressed strongly onto her chest, and she could barely breathe. No matter what we said, you wouldn't cease your attack. And then you raised your sabre above your head and swung down aiming for her neck. I had to intervene. You terrified, injured, and almost _killed_ your Padawan. I am obligated to report this to the council after I take you to see the healers." Fisto said gravely, his normal lively face was cold and harsh.

"I...understand. My actions were...inexcusable." Anakin whispered, barely audible over the drum-like beat of his heart that echoed in his head.

He slowly unfolded his lean frame from the ground and made to stand. Kit did the same, and as they walked out of the room side by side, Anakin stopped to pick up his and Iella's lightsabres from the training room floor, feeling the cool, satin metal glide across his hands. As he went to clip Iella's to his belt, a finger brushed over something near the edge of the polished hilt. He ran another finger over it, feeling its rough edges. He looked closely at the edge and noticed a very small line of engraving near the tip. Hand-etched, in the familiar calligraphic handwriting, was a single sentence. It was a sentence uttered by hundreds in the Temple everyday from initiates to masters but for Anakin, this was more than just a sentence:

 _There is no chaos, there is Harmony._


	14. XIV

Anakin had no idea what to expect. It had only been a week and a half since Iella had returned home. Their once lucid bond was still only a small fledgling after the Dark ripped it unjustly from their minds. It was slowly reforming with Iella's heart and devotion and Anakin's strength and guidance. And now after this, it would no doubt be in shambles once more. _The walls were not strong enough for this. Not this much, this soon. They would collapse. Perhaps this is a sign from the Force, telling us we needed a clean slate, that we had started with the wrong actions or we were heading down the same detrimental path as before._ Fisto and Skywalker walked silently to the Healer's wing, each contemplating the repercussions and outcomes this situation could construct.

Master Che's Padawan was waiting for them and respectfully pointed them in the direction of Iella's room. Anakin strode through the door but Fisto stopped behind him and let the pneumatic door whoosh shut. Kit had an inexplicable ability to know when to intervene and when to not. He instead stood as a sentinel guarding the Master and Padawan.

Anakin had been to the Medi-Centre far too many times in the last 2 weeks but this time it felt...different. There was no trepidation, no grief, no anger, only peace. The room was peaceful as Iella lie sleeping on a bed, her presence sending currents of serenity and calm into the Force. This time she had no machines connected to her, no breathing apparatuses, nothing. She was completely free in both mind and body. She was fully emerged in the welcoming, benign tides of the Force and she let them carry her through its waves. She had complete and unequivocal trust in the Force. She knew it would take her where she needed to go, show her what she needed to see, and help her when she needed help. Qui-Gon would have been beaming with pride if he could see her right now. _If only Qui-Gon could have met Iella. They would have been an incredible team._ Anakin knew Obi-Wan saw that potential in her and tried his hardest to encourage that behaviour. Qui-Gon had, is, still one of the most respected Jedi Masters to ever have been a part of the Order. The Council wasn't on board with Obi-Wan's teachings. Qui-Gon had been the maverick, the rebel, the freethinker. They did not want to have to work with another Qui-Gon. A student with the remarkable negotiation skills of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the tenacious fighting skills of Anakin Skywalker, and the rebellious, challenging personality of Qui-Gon Jinn would be a lethal combination. Bringing his thoughts back to the here and now, Anakin approached his young Padawan's sleeping form and breathed a sigh of relief. There were no cuts, or scars from the incident today that he could see. Mentally, no doubt there obviously would be some residual trauma. He reached a hand out to cradle her shoulder, feeling her warm, soft skin under his hand which seemed to placate him more than he thought it would.

She shifted and rolled on the bed, tightening the cradle the blanket had her entangled in. She turned towards Anakin and opened her cool grey eyes to look at him. But they weren't serene for long. The instance they recognized the face looking down at her, they were clouded with weeping rainstorms that swirled in great maelstroms. The Force was engulfed in pure fear, uncontrollable and rampant. Iella flew up and in her haste to depart, she was caught in her blanket and fell to the floor in a sickening crash. Anakin ran over to the other side of the bed where she was sitting, a red contusion rapidly forming on her forehead from where it contacted the floor, eyes wide with terror. She uncoiled herself from the blanket and sat there, knees drawn up to her heaving chest. It was most unlike her to be so fearful, even after everything but Anakin quickly realised how much he had hurt her. The scars may not be visible but he knows that they cut deep into her heart.

Her crash to the floor, which must have been rather loud, brought Master Che and Fisto, flying into the room. They found Anakin crouched on the floor looking desperately at the hunched figure of his Padawan, a blanket spread out acting as an ocean between the two turbulent storms. Master Che, rushed over to Iella and carefully helped her up, Iella's eyes still fixed, unblinking, on Anakin. A glimmer of recognition flared into Iella's eyes and the Force seemed to quiet down, tempestuous waters becoming still. Iella sat down at the edge of the bed, while Vokara instructed her to hold a bacta patch to her bruising forehead. Che then began examining her for further injuries. Meanwhile, Knight Fisto placed a hand on Anakin's shoulder in a silent "We should leave." Anakin complied and walked out of the room, feeling Iella's intent gaze on his back as he left.

He was completely lost at what to do next. Iella was his first Padawan and they didn't cover this in Jedi Training. He decided to call on the only person he knew that could completely destroy relationships accidentally but still manage to scramble them back together when he needed to, the perpetual negotiator Master Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi.


	15. XV

Obi-Wan was in the middle of meditating when there was a knock at the door. He almost ignored it completely. _Whoever or whatever it is if it's urgent they'd call me on my comlink._ But the person at the door wasn't planning on giving up so easily. They just kept knocking, getting louder and more impatient with each rap. _I can never get anything done uninterrupted can I?_ Grudgingly, he got up from his meditation cushion and strode over to the door. He opened the door and was almost bashed in the face by Anakin's hand, no doubt caught in the motion of knocking on the door once more. Obi-Wan caught Anakin's wrist before it contacted with his face. _Thank the Force for my quick reflexes or I probably would have ended up with a broken nose._ Anakin froze, alarmed for a moment, before bowing slightly.

"Good morning, Master Kenobi. I pray I did not disturb you. I-"

"What do you need this time, Anakin?"

Anakin just stared at him, shocked. "How...how did you know?"

"Two things: first, you haven't bowed to me since we first met despite my constant instructions, and second, you never _ever_ call me Master Kenobi unless you need something from me. So what do you want?"

It took the better part of a half an hour for Anakin to explain the situation between his Padawan and himself. And throughout it all, Obi-Wan thoughtfully stroked that brown beard of his, clearly contemplating which diplomatic approach he would use. Anakin thought that Obi-Wan's beard was just going to fall out, considering the amount of stroking Obi-Wan had subjected it to. Anakin asked him to talk to Iella and help her through this. Obi-Wan agreed, but only if Anakin would not watch him do it or ask Iella about it. He made it very clear that he wished this to be an internal affair between himself and Padawan Kestal. Anakin was first strongly against that, he feared not having himself there would only distance her from him further. Iella's shields were much weaker than anything he had experienced from her and he could just blow right through those thin barriers and solve the problem himself but what would that accomplish? Loss of all trust left? Possible mind violation? Too many risks. He would just have to have faith in Obi-Wan's abilities. And after probing the Bond multiple times and still finding a thread from behind her shields wrapped tightly around his Force presence like a lifeline, he finally conceded that it was for the best. Obi-Wan knew what he was doing and Iella was always very comfortable around him. But somehow that still didn't make Anakin feel a lot better when it came time.

Obi-Wan had been in there for almost 2 hours. _What could be taking him so long?_ Anakin had almost paced a track into the durasteel floor, each restless footfall echoing throughout the cloistered hallways of the Healer's wing like a ripple in the great basin of the Force. He had tried to listen through the door once but Obi-Wan had expected as much from him. Just when Anakin had leaned against the door, Obi-Wan force-opened the door, setting Anakin off balance and sending him tumbling to the floor, rather ungracefully. Obi-Wan just smirked with that trademark expression that he must have learned from Master Qui-Gon and pointed Anakin out the door. Iella was trying to not laugh but was having a rather difficult time with her attempts. Anakin was pleased to see Iella laughing and smiling once again even if it was at the expense of his dignity.

It had been now almost 3 hours since Obi-Wan had first walked into that room. He hadn't left yet, there had been no word, no call, nothing from within since. Anakin was starting to worry more and more with each step of his foot, and each breath that entered his lung. He had finally sat down after Master Che had threatened to sedate him if he did not calm down. He was just drifting off into a light meditative state when the pneumatic door whooshed open and the strong form of Obi-Wan Kenobi stepped out into the hallway. And in a matter of seconds, Anakin was up and flying towards him, eager to hear the results. Obi-Wan just remained perfectly still as Anakin breathlessly flew up to him.

"How is she? Can I see her? Did it work? Are you…" But before Anakin could finish questioning his former Master, Obi-Wan simply held up a hand in a silent but respectful _Shut up or I won't tell you anything_. Anakin obeyed, all the years of his Padawan training made him accustomed to this motion.

"She's fine. You can see her but remember, this is a major step forward but it is by no means the end. You must _earn_ her trust, not bargain for it."

Anakin quickly nodded before taking a large, calming breath and stepping beyond the threshold of the corridor.

Under the garish fluorescent lights, Iella sat perched on the edge of her bed, eyes closed, deep in meditation. _Of course she is. Obi-Wan's solution to everything is mediating. Angry? Meditate. Tired? Meditate. Perplexed? Meditate. Living and breathing? Meditate._ Anakin strode over in strong but quiet steps to sit next to Iella's young frame. Carefully as not to disturb her, he folded his long legs into the first mediation position rather uncomfortably on the short bed and fell into the Force to join her. Iella had lowered her shields completely. Anakin was able to see everything in her mind and feel everything. Anakin did the same. _If the Bond is to survive and succeed we must be able to trust one another entirely._

But that was only the beginning. Unknowingly they were marking the first moves in a chess match only a few were privy to.


	16. XVI

Iella could feel her Master enter the room. She did not open her eyes, she did not move her body, she only felt his presence. He moved to sit next to her and the Force exploded in a cacophony of tenacity and energy that marked Anakin's signature. She could feel him reaching out to her tendril of the Bond, protecting it, nurturing it back to health. She had put all of her effort into protecting that small thread and it felt good to feel it strengthening in someone else's hand. Even when the rest of her mind had screamed _Just leave it, don't reform the Bond, let it wither and die like your heart when he lashed out. Let it go, leave the Order. Your own master does not trust you and does not protect you. He lies about everything, about how he'll protect you, teach you, nurture you. It's not worth it._ She had fought off those emotions and sheltered and defended that heartstring, determined to keep her humanity intact. The Bond was glowing with pure energy as the Master and the Apprentice established a training bond stronger than any of the previous ones. It was forged with pure heart and strength and hovering on the surface of both of the two minds was the idea that this one was the real one. The others had just been futile attempts designed to drive the Jedi to something stronger. But then like a book blows open in the wind, a memory, fresh in the mind of both, surfaced.

 _Iella was back in the training room lying supine on the mat, her mind filled with panic and utter disarray. A barrage of emotions threatened to crack her mental shields as her Master, a man she looked up to, trusted her life to, was on the verge of murdering her in cold blood. The room swirled in great arcs of emotion radiating off Anakin in fierce rage but laced with a small note of despair. His azure blade was raised above his head, Iella's breath hitched in her throat as it swung down. She never dreamed she'd rejoin the Force like this. Ever since she had been an initiate she had been taught to accept joining the Force but this was different. One passage, that she repeated to herself over and over again trying to calm her racing heart, …_ _I will not fear when death comes. I will welcome it with open arms knowing in my soul, in my very being, that it is my time and the Force will guide me to its harmony. That I will join the Force peacefully and willingly. That I will give up my old life for a better one, serving and protecting those whose great journey has just begun and those whose are reaching the end. That I will live for the rest of them as the Jedi before me did. That I will carry that legacy beyond life, beyond death. That I will continue the path…_

 _This wasn't the peaceful end she had hoped for. It wasn't like before when she calmly walked into the Force. This was pure turbulence. But that never came. The sabre was suddenly stopped. Iella's held breath was released and as an abrupt inflow of oxygen her lungs exploded into dry heaves and coughs. Her hands shook as she gripped her stomach desperately trying to take deep inhalations. The training room dissolved into the blurred grasp of the Force. She was gently nudged out of the Force back to the medical room._

A wave of alarm and realisation swept over Iella. _If she had been this terrified with her own Master how would she survive in the battlefields that shrouded the galaxy? She needed to apologize for her actions. Now._

Anakin felt Iella withdraw from the Force. Anakin's mind followed after her, trailing just a few moments behind. He turned his cerulean eyes to meet hers and found nothing but an empty space next to him. His peace was suddenly pierced with anxiety. A meek and muffled voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Master, I apologize for my actions earlier. I should not have acted so harshly. It was unbecoming of my Jedi training."

Anakin looked down to see Iella settled on the floor on her hands and knees, forehead pressed to the ground in a full kowtow. Quietly, Anakin slid off the bed and crouched next to her and reached out a strong hand. Lightly he lifted her chin up to face him and aquamarine eyes met heather grey eyes. He swirled his thumb on her cheek gently, following the path of the markings that now emblazoned her face. She leaned into his touch, not out of passion or romance; the touch made her feel safe, protected, _valued_. A smile breached Anakin's mouth a little and felt Iella's presence relax with it.

"Oh little one, you don't have any reason to apologize. After all, how many times have I had to thank you for saving my tail in the field?"

"Master, I don't think I should answer that. It might damage your reputation."

A blithe giggle escaped her lips. The room felt brighter than all of the lights of Coruscant combined. Anakin took a deep breath and closed his eyes. _The Force flowed with gratification, and honest bliss...and is that amusement?_ He opened his eyes and turned back to face his Padawan. By now a smile stretched across her face and her eyes flickered and sparkled with laughter. Anakin tried to probe her mind but she hastily put up shields and laughed with that infectious and jubilant laugh.

"Master, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course you can Sparks. Anytime." His mind flickered back to the day he had given her that nickname. They had only been a team for 2 weeks and they had just returned to Coruscant from a rather tough mission. And of course the Council had wanted a debriefing as quickly as possible. As they were standing in the chamber exhausted and defeated, Iella swayed on her feet and Anakin had trouble staying awake, Yoda had approached Iella and whispered something in her ear. Her eyes lit up and sparkled like the brightest diamond. Anakin had never seen anyone's eyes sparkle as much as hers did and thus the name "Sparks" was born. He never found out what Yoda had said. That secret was kept locked away, behind doors of titanium hidden in the inky corners of Iella's mind.

Bringing his thoughts back to the present, he turned to Iella and nodded in a silent _Please continue_. He sensed slight apprehension in her as she formed her question. He cast it into the Force to be dispersed, sending a wave of calm over the Bond to Iella, reassuring her.

"Master, did you really almost hit Master Kenobi in the nose?"

Of all the questions Anakin was expecting that was most decidedly not on the list. He let out a small laugh and saw that Iella did as well although hers was decidedly more unsure. He grinned and gently grasped Iella's arm, both of them standing up simultaneously.

"That's a story for another time, my Padawan. Right now, let's go home." Anakin spoke deliberately avoiding providing a direct answer to the question. He felt a flicker of exasperation echo in the Bond. Iella had picked up his trick.

 _Of course she did. She is Obi-Wan's protégé._

And like that, side by side, Master and Apprentice strolled out the room, their hearts lighter and the Bond blossoming with newly reinforced camaraderie.

But many floors above in the tallest spire of the Jedi Temple, the Council was facing a different outcome from the reforged relationship between Anakin Skywalker and Iella Kestal.

A decision had been made.

And it all rested on the shoulders of those two.


	17. XVII

Iella was engrossed in the process of making the evening meal when the door chimed impatiently. She wouldn't have heard it if Anakin hadn't shouted from the refresher where he was showering, to open the door. She had no idea how he could have heard it or how she almost missed it. She quickly rinsed off her hands and jogged over to the door. Palming the door panel, it slid open and with the steady swoosh came a slew of jumbled words "Anakin, you,yourPadawan,andobiwanareneededinthecouncilcham…"The visitor froze mid-sentence. "Wait you're not Anakin." Iella just stood completely silent trying desperately not to grin or laugh as the towering figure of Mace Windu stood in the doorway. When he realised his mistake his face dropped a little bit.

"Master Windu. It is nice to see you again." Iella spoke confidently before dropping into a respectful but not overly grandiloquent bow.

"It is good to see you up and around so very soon after your incident. Is your Master in?" The council member smoothly responded before bowing in return.

"Yes but he is in the shower. Please come in and enjoy a cup of tea while you wait."

"I'm afraid I have only come to deliver a message. I must return to the Council Chambers at once. Please tell your master that you and he are expected to be in the Council Chambers in one hour. Master Kenobi will join you there." Windu added. "Oh, and please do be on time?"

"I will try." _But you know my master's penchant for arriving late._ Iella's face crept into a reserved grin and her eyes sparkled like a diamond caught in the light.

"Do or do not there is no try, Padawan" Mace retorted, forcing down a smile. They didn't need the Force to tell them they were thinking the same thing. There was a short silence before both Master and Padawan burst out laughing, large smiles branching across their faces. Mace had not laughed in much time and he felt so free. He wasn't worried about maintaining his stoic reputation. The Force flowed with contented effervescence that seemed to emanate from the young Padawan that stood in front of him. She was a beacon in the Force. Mace had never felt someone so strong in the Unifying Force. _Strength that can tip the scales with just a glance._

"I must return to the council. May be Force be with you." He bows and Iella returns it attentively before the Korun Jedi turned and quickly strode away from the residence.

Iella closes the door, the ghost of a smile echoing on her face with the laughter. Anakin sauntered out from the refresher, hair still damp, dressed in his usual dark blue and black robes. He glanced at his Padawan who had a small grin etched on her face as she walked from the door back to the kitchen.

"What are you smiling at?" He asked inquisitively.

Iella looked up suddenly. It was clear she had not seen him come out into the common room. Her head dropped to her chest and the faintest wisp of guilt flicker into the Force.

"Nothing, Master. It was Master Windu who called on us. The Council simply requests our presence in the Chambers in an hour."

"They sent Master Windu down here to deliver _a message._ They sent a Jedi Master and high-ranking Council Member to deliver a single message to us?"

Iella nodded responding to her Master's obvious shock. Anakin just stood, mouth open incredulously. He just shook his head with.

Iella returned to her original task of cooking. Only a few short minutes later, Iella was setting a steaming plate of Akh'Mou tarts and vegetables down on the dark wood table made from Veuniro trees. Anakin had never had a more delicious meal. _Maybe Obi-Wan's cooking lessons aren't in vain after all. At least one of us knows how to cook._ They ate swiftly and silently, ensuring that they would make it to the council chambers on time. And they did. Well technically they did.

They made it up to the Council Chambers with some time to spare but of course Anakin being, well, Anakin, made Iella and himself wait outside the chambers until they were at least few minutes late. Iella was irked with this side of her Master. Obi-Wan had always stressed the importance of punctuality. Whenever Anakin was late, Obi-Wan always murmured something under his breath that sounded like "It's all Qui-Gon's fault." Iella could never figure out if that's what he said or not. She had heard stories of the Maverick Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn and was proud that she was part of his line. Many people had told her she was lucky to have the three best Masters training her even if only two were in person. However the Council members, especially Mace Windu often expressed his concern regarding that influence.

 _Master, what are we doing out here? Shouldn't we go inside?_

 _Patience, Sparks. Not yet._

When Anakin had decided that sufficient time had passed, they strolled into the Chambers catching the eye of everybody in the room. Master Kenobi just smirked at Anakin and subtly shook his head. Iella's eyes remained fixed on the ground submissively but she glances up once and her eyes lock with the rich brown eyes of Master Windu. His eyes are based in seriousness but the soft edges are lined with mirth. She had never been completely comfortable being in the Council Chambers, there was just something solemn and final about the space but this time it felt a little lighter. She followed her master up to his place next to Master Kenobi in the centre of the room where the floor tiles converged into a large emblem. Anakin bowed deeply and Iella replicated it. The Grandmaster was the first to speak.

"Act quickly, we must. A mission for you, we have."

And Anakin's mouth fell open in shock.


	18. XVIII

"A mission of trust, you need after your altercation. Strengthen the Bond between Master and Padawan, you must."

Obi-Wan stepped forward, "Excuse me, Masters, but are you sure that is a good idea? While Padawan Kestal is on the road to recovery, she is by no means ready to return to the field."

Anakin turned to address the Council. "Masters, despite Master Kenobi's concern, I believe my Padawan has fully recovered and is prepared to resume her duties."

"Anakin, I don't believe it would be best for-"

A sharp crack of a gimbal stick silenced the voices immediately. "Ask the Padawan, we shall. Padawan, what say you?"

Iella had never been more anxious in her life. She had never been addressed directly in the presence of the Council. She tried to hide her nervousness through thick mental shields but she knew that the Council could sense it. They were elite Jedi. Of course they knew. She looked from Anakin to Obi-Wan. She felt mostly ready but was still uncomfortable with how soon this had come. Obi-Wan made a valid point but so did Anakin. And she knew if she picked Obi-Wan, Anakin would be upset with her. He tried not to show it but she had a feeling he was always upset with her. And if she picked Anakin, and the mission failed she would lose the Council's trust in her judgment. She wrung her hands nervously within her folded cloak sleeves. The tension in the room was rising. Fast. With her left hand she twisted the ring that still resided on her right hand middle finger.

"I..I believe I am ready to return to the field, although I appreciate Master's Kenobi's concern." She stuttered slightly over the first word but if members of the Council had heard it they made no indication.

Yoda nodded slowly. "Then the mission, you will do."

Obi-Wan looked slightly crestfallen but Iella hoped he could see her perspective. He knew there was no stopping Anakin. But she still felt a little uneasy. _What if something goes wrong and I am to blame?_ _No! I cannot allow myself to think like that!_

Depa Billaba was the next to speak, "You will go to Statothis to recover a missing data chip with details about the Separatists' campaign. You must be cautious, we believe that Dooku is on the planet."

"Dooku?" Obi-Wan questioned, "Our intelligence reported that he was on Infuria not Statothis."

"Far too many Jedi have been led astray by false information. We must trust in the Force again."

Murmurs and nods of approval from the other masters filled the room. Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Iella, having received their new orders and taking this as their cue to leave, all bowed and turned silently to leave the room.

The questioning voice of Mace Windu rang through the chamber once the trio had left. "Master Yoda, I understand the need to retrieve the missing data right away, but are you sure Skywalker and Kestal are the right pair for the task? Especially with their most recent altercation? Knight Fisto reported that Skywalker's actions were strictly out of rage and hatred."

"Right, they are for the mission. Guide them, Master Kenobi will. A great test, I see."


	19. XIX

As the Jedi shuttle flew out of the wintry Coruscant atmosphere, Iella couldn't help but feel as though something bad was going to happen. She had always been fortunate enough to not receive visions up to this point and she wasn't hoping they'd start now. She sat cross-legged on the small bed facing the wall with her eyes pinched shut. She hated looking at herself now. Anakin walked into the aft compartment and strode slowly over to his Padawan. She was sitting completely silent. He jumped up onto the bed beside her.

"Iella, are you alright? You have been very quiet since the council meeting. Is there something wro-"

"No. There's nothing wrong. I'm fine." She snapped back.

"Hey! All I asked was if you were alright. You sure don't seem fine, Sparks."

"Why do you care?"

"What is that supposed to mean?!"

"I know you don't like me! You don't want me anymore! I'm damaged goods, yesterday's refuse! I've heard what the other Masters say! Since this!" She points violently at the streaks on her face, "Why don't you just repudiate me? Kick me out! Save you the trouble of having to train me! I don't want to be the Harmony! You hate me!" Iella turns around and in a blur of motion tries to run out of the room. Anakin catches her arm before she could get away.

"Let go of me!" She tried to pull her arm away but his mechanical grip was too strong. Anakin pulled her to face him. She continued to struggle.

"Iella. Kestal. why would you ever think that? Why would you think I hate you? You are my Padawan and my responsibility. I picked you over every other Initiate. You were not forced upon me. I care for you, I believe in you, I _love_ you...I want to know, what you heard those Masters say and which ones?"

She remained silent for a minute before speaking. "They said that you were just keeping me around to make the Council happy. That you couldn't wait to get rid of me...And the way they look at me now! The pity I see! I'm excluded from everything now! Even my friends avoid me! And you want to know what they said when I asked them? What they used as an excuse to stay away from me? They said it was because they were worried that I would lash out and hurt them or...or…. That I would lure them to the Dark Side!" Iella's stormy grey eyes were full of tears but they did not spill. "And even their Masters avoid me too! What did I do wrong? Why does the Force continue to punish me? I did not choose this destiny! I did not want to be this way! I didn't want this, I didn't want this, I didn't want this…" Iella's head dropped to her chest and her posture slumped. Anakin just sat in shock. To say such horrible things about an adult is one thing but of a child? A child who has just overcome multiple traumatic injuries? This made Anakin sick. How could he be so blind when his Padawan was obviously hurting? He pulled Iella close and enveloped her in a hug. She hugged him tightly back, her face buried in his cloak.

Silence, then a muffled voice, "It was Masters Vomes and Tulomnar."

"Oh Sparks, how was I so blind? No wonder you've saved my tail so many times! Your Master would lose his hand if it wasn't attached to his body!" Anakin smiled and pulled his mechanical hand off and shook it in front of them. Anakin couldn't hear Iella's giggle but he could feel her ribcage shake. She sat up and looked to the ground, quiet once more.

"But why me, Master? Why did the Force pick me?"

"Little One, if I could answer that I'd be replacing Master Yoda in the Council. The reality is that we don't know why. We may never find out. We just have to trust. Don't let Obi-Wan hear that or he'll never let me hear the end of it. Did you know that once upon a time, your Master asked his Master the very same question?" Iella shook her head, astonished.

"A long, long time ago, when Obi-Wan was still a Padawan under Master Qui-Gon, there was a time when I doubted who I was really meant to be. They kept telling me I was the Chosen One, that I was destined for grandeur. I was pushed constantly to be this great Jedi because so many thought I would fail and sometimes I felt like it was unfair that I was forced to do this. I wanted to be able to choose for myself, let me decide my own fate, make my own decisions."

"Is that why you don't listen to the Council?"

Anakin smiled. "Yes, Sparks. That's part of it. But I also saw how Master Qui-Gon could openly refuse the Council and still remain a treasured and highly respected member of the Order. And I wanted to be just like him. He was strong and compassionate, powerful and respected. And I strive for you, every day, to be like him and I hope that someday, when you have a Padawan of your own, they will look up to you like I looked up to Qui-Gon."

"So you inherited your rebellious nature from Qui-Gon…" Iella mulled this development over slowly, "...Does that mean that Master Obi-Wan got his sass from Qui-Gon?"

Anakin laughed and saw that Iella smiled in return. "Yes, my Padawan. That's where Obi-Wan's attitude came from. But don't ever _ever_ tell him I said that, alright? Now, you need to get some rest. This is a very important mission and I need my Padawan at her best."

Anakin stood up off the bed and Iella laid down. Anakin strode over to the door and just before he turned off the light,

"Master?"

"Yes, little one?"

"I wish I could've met Master Qui-Gon."

"I wish you could've met him too."

And he turned off the light and the door slid shut.


	20. XX

They reached the mysterious planet about 13 hours later. Anakin actually _landed_ the shuttle this time, much to Iella's surprise. According to Obi-Wan, that was a very rare case and she should be "grateful to have witnessed it". Seeing as this was a covert mission, it wouldn't do very well to land directly at the base. As they exited the shuttle, Iella could not imagine why anyone would want to have a base there.

Statothis was probably the least interesting planet in the galaxy. According to the briefing she was given, it wasn't always like this. Eons ago, it was a thriving ecosystem brimming with thousands of unique plants and trees. It was under the protection of another planet, Trion VII. Trion VII ensured no one settled on Statothis in order to maintain its environment. A nearby mining planet had conducted an illegal survey and discovered pockets of rich ore. They went to war over the use of the planet and the war ended abruptly with one devastating nuclear weapon which decimated the ecosystem so severely there was nothing but corpses left. The planet was a terrifying reminder of the past. The planet's ground was nothing but cold dust, and the skeletal remains of petrified trees covered the planet in large thickets. They curled over the lifeless terrain, their dense branches restricting sunlight to a few pointed rays.

 _Maybe that's what gave it its appeal. Nobody in their right mind would come here willingly._ Iella decided. The briefing had said the missing data chip was being held in a large stone palace northeast of their landing position. The structure had been used during the war to serve as a headquarters for the forces of Trion VII. The three Jedi quickly decided that the best way to get to this palace was to go through one of the dense forests that covered the terrain.

"The salt flats to the North are too hot and rough for us to stay on for very long." Obi-Wan had stated, pointing to the holomap he had open in front of them.

"But the South is ringed with steep slopes that virtually impossible to climb." Anakin countered.

"I guess our only option is to cut through this dense forest, here."

And so, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Iella together began the long and treacherous walk to the castle.


	21. XXI

They had been walking for almost 2 hours and were about halfway through the forest when Anakin first noticed it, pure, unnerving…silence. The trio had been quiet for almost 20 minutes and it was driving Anakin crazy. He turned around quickly, "Why can't you guys tal-" but the sentence stopped as he noticed there was no one behind him, no trace of Obi-Wan or Iella. Not even a Force signature, the dead forest was just _dead_. Anakin cursed himself for being so blind.

But he barely had a chance to think before he felt something cold hit his neck and everything went dark and quiet.

Iella awoke with a start. She sat up quickly and immediately scurried backwards. She was up on a cliff ledge perched 75 feet above the dusty ground. Her whole body felt sore and faint. She reached up to rub her neck and her hand found a sharp metal dart sticking out of her skin just above her collarbone. She carefully grasped it with her fingers, and in one swift motion, yanked it out. She bit her tongue as pain shot through her skin. Carefully she examined the dart, it was long and thin with one end, a barbed needle, to ensure the most pain and effect, the other end, a thin triangular tail like an arrow. On shaky legs, she stood up and held onto the rock face next to her as her vision blurred and twisted. She needed to find the others. Especially Obi-Wan. They had been walking through the forest, Anakin leading the way, Iella and Obi-Wan in the back. They were heading towards the structure that was allegedly the location of their missing data when suddenly, Obi-Wan fell, but before she could yell out to Anakin, she felt something hit her, and the ground rose up to greet her. Whether Anakin had been hit by the same thing or not, she didn't know. She checked the Bond, searching for any sign of Anakin but received only a buzzing sound, indicating that he was too far to reach or was incapacitated. She was on her own. She looked down at the cliff face below, it was entirely sheer, not a notch or jut to hold on to. Taking a deep breath and swallowing, she walked to the edge, and jumped. Just before Iella hit the ground, she summoned the Force and in one big push, stopped herself from a rather painful landing. She landed on her stomach, stood up, and brushed herself off. The sun was baking down on the dead planet, making Iella sweat beneath her heavy cloak and robes. She glanced up at the horizon and decided to start walking towards the trees she had seen before, hoping that those were the same ones they had been in before this whole incident occurred.

Obi-Wan didn't even remember what happened, all he knew was that he woke up in a hollow under a massive tree, and Anakin and Iella were nowhere to be found. The ground around him was cool but just beyond the ground was almost scalding. He stood up and immediately sat back down, nauseous. Instinctively, he felt his neck for a bruise, a cut, anything. Instead he found a single metal dart, punctured into his skin right on the nape of his neck. _Tranquilizers, no wonder I felt dizzy._ When he felt he had finally regained his balance, he stood up and looked around. There were no paths, no markers, no way of knowing where he was. The branches above prevented most of the light from coming through but the sky he could see was a bright cerulean which meant he still had a lot of day left. _Good._ He thought. _I'll need a lot of time to find the others._ Without any way of knowing where he was or the others, he simply decided to continue on the way to the stone structure. _Maybe the others will do the same thing._

Iella reached the edge of the forest just as dusk was falling and the sky was a swirling pelt of indigo and navy with the shimmering glints of stars sprinkled throughout. She ventured into the dead trees, hoping that it remained light for a little longer; the forest was dark enough at high sun, at night it would be treacherous. Iella had barely made it 50 feet before a low rustling from ahead caught her attention. She snuck up behind a large tree and grabbed her lightsabre from where it hung on her belt. And in one sudden motion she leaped out from behind the tree and ignited her sabre. But the rustling figure, also had a lightsabre.

"Master Obi-Wan?" Iella questioned cautiously.

"Yes it's me, now can we put the lightsabres down?" The smooth yet wary voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi answered. The light from his sabre was casting his face in slim shadows and piercing angles. Iella extinguished her lightsabre first, returning it to its holster on her belt. She approached him calmly and silently despite the fountains of questions spewing in her mind. But the first one that both were thinking of:

"Where's Anakin?"

"I don't know. I didn't see him when I walked over here from the cliffs."

"Cliffs? Where were you? Wait hold on, let's start with what happened."

And once more, Iella ran through the story, except this time out loud and with added pieces from Obi-Wan they were able to piece together a timeline. After Obi-Wan and Iella were hit, Anakin was mostly likely hit with the same thing. Obi-Wan awoke in a random part of the forest, Iella on a tall cliff face. And while they could theorize that Anakin was dropped in the salt flats to the north, they had no evidence to support this. After many ethical and moral dilemmas, Obi-Wan and Iella finally decided that it would be best to retrieve the data chip and find Anakin later (they were relying on the Force telling them that Anakin wasn't dead or injured) or meet Anakin at the stone palace.

Once night fell in the forest, it was almost impossible to see the ground in front of you let alone, the path ahead. Both Jedi drew their sabres and used what little light they provided to help guide them. A precarious hour later, the edge of the forest was at last in sight. And thankfully for the Jedi, just beyond the forest sat the massive stone and mortar peaks marking the stronghold.

And since Obi-Wan believes that diplomacy is the solution to _almost_ every problem, instead of trying to sneak into the castle, he simply went up to the soaring wood doors, and knocked. Unfortunately for Obi-Wan, diplomacy here was not graciously accepted. In fact, it was downright rejected. This became clear when the doors flew open and a guard wearing a tawny uniform bearing no insignia or marks stepped towards them and held in the guard's hands was a long, freshly polished phaser rifle.

Obi-Wan gave no indication he had even seen the rifle and simply turned to the guard and smiled.


	22. XXII

The thick door to the hall opened and Iella and Obi-Wan walked in, followed by the guard holding his rifle just behind their heads. He shoved them and they fell hard on their knees. A tall, shrouded figure stood on a raised step on the other side of the hall, his cloak billowed out from an invisible wind. "So, you finally came. I've been waiting for you since Ostriea. Since you put this hole in my leg." Obi-Wan and Iella made eye contact, worried expressions painted on both faces. Could this really be the Sith they faced before? The one that had claimed Iella's life? Before they could establish any theories, the Sith turned around to face them. "I know what you're thinking. Is this really him? That evil, _evil,_ Sith that murdered your Padawan? Well, yes. It is me. I was the one who murdered the young Iella, whom I was shocked to discover was still alive, clearly you had help. My name, Jedi, is Caedes, since you didn't ask last time, last of the Kelaven from Reinael. And you have just walked into my plan. Leave the girl to me." Caedes addressed the guard by the door who grabbed Obi-Wan's arms tightly. The Sith grabbed a fistful of Iella's hair and dragged her to her feet and away from the door. Obi-Wan lunged forward trying to free himself from the guard's grip but was unsuccessful. "Restrain him." The guard hit Obi-Wan in the face with the butt of his rifle. Blood ran down from Obi-Wan's nose. The guard shackled Obi-Wan's hands behind his back.

"Leave him alone! Don't hurt him!" Iella pleaded as Caedes dragged her by her hair.

"Oh my dear, we won't hurt him…yet. We are going to make this as painful as possible for him first. That's where you fit in. See I've had this whole thing planned out for a while, since our encounter on Ostriea. To make him hurt even more, he will play witness to your death," Iella's eyes darted to Obi-Wan, a flash of terror in those grey eyes. "Your death, darling, will not be as quick as you hope. Instead, a test of your skills. I challenge you to a lightsabre duel, you and me."

"I will not do it. I will not be a pawn in your sick game."

"Then you will watch as we kill Kenobi." Caedes nodded to the guard who held the rifle up to the back of Obi-Wan's head and prepared to fire.

"No! Wait!" Caedes turned to face Iella whose hands are held out in surrender. "I will fight you. But only if you promise Master Kenobi will come to no harm." Caedes nods once more to the guard, who lowers his rifle.

"Iella, no!"

"Shut up, _Master_ _Kenobi._ Let the girl decide for herself. Alright, my dear. The time has come for you to show you skills." The Sith ignited his blood red sabre and poised himself to fight. Iella did the same with her tangerine blade. The Sith was the first to move, lunging forward, but was blocked by Iella almost immediately. Iella pushed his sabre back and she flipped cleanly over him and moved to strike his back. Caedes whipped around, sabre outstretched, intending to separate Iella's torso from her legs but she ducked. Strike. Parry. Block. Flip. Iella remained almost entirely defensive, she did not want to kill, only to restrain. Caedes, was however the opposite, he wanted to kill, to feel the life drain from his victim. He was ruthless, and an expert fighter. Iella was an excellent fighter but was nowhere close to the level of her opponent. Obi-Wan knew he was only letting her win to entertain his plan. He tried to call out to her, warn her of his plot, but every time he opened his mouth, the guard would deliver another painful blow to the back of his neck. He cried out through the Force, he almost thought about invading her mind but immediately decided against it as she would lose her focus. He could do nothing.

Iella's mind was constantly in motion, darting from side to side, scanning every movement, looking for some weakness, but she could not find one. It was almost as if he was the perfect fighter. _I cannot defeat him. I will die, and they will kill Master Obi-Wan as well. I have failed once again. But at least this time, I will not be around to feel my failure very long…What am I thinking? He is a man, he has faults, and I must keep hope. A loss of hope is a loss of life._ Caedes knocked Iella to the ground, and was pressing a lightsabre closer and closer to her neck as Iella's own lightsabre fought to push it back. Iella's eyes were wide but she was not scared. The Sith was using his entire body weight to press the sabre down, closer. He was a fully grown man, she was barely a teenager. Iella's arms were shaking, the exertion tiring her quickly.

"Leave her alone! She has done nothing to you! Take me not her! Have me instead!" Obi-Wan screamed as he fought hard against his restraints.

The Sith extinguished his sabre. "Hmmm, an irresistible proposal. The great Negotiator instead of a measly little child…I accept your offer." Caedes grinned, his pointed teeth showing. He nodded to the guard who released Obi-Wan's hands. He drew his lightsabre once more and in a moment had it against Iella's throat, this time so close, that it was actually burning her skin. She gritted her teeth in pain. "Pledge yourself to me, in front of your precious student or I'll separate her head from her neck." Caedes twisted Iella's arm tighter behind her and a small cry escaped her lips. Obi-Wan's eyes widened with fear and darted from Iella and the lightsabre to Caedes' sinister amber eyes. He knelt before the Sith, looked down, and closed his eyes.

"I…pledge myself…to you."

The heavy door to the chamber burst open.

"Obi-Wan NO!" Anakin screamed, but it was too late.


	23. XXIII

Anakin had awoken from his tranquilizer in the middle of the sweltering, unbearable heat. Jumping to his feet quickly, he immediately looked around. He was in the middle of the salt flats. _Great, I'm going to burn to death out here._ To his right, the salt flats stretched out for miles upon miles with nothing so much as a hill. To his left, the salt flats once more reached out in vast, barren wastelands, but faintly, barely visible on the horizon was a dark grey line. _The forest,_ Anakin thought. He was suddenly aware that he had no idea how much time had passed or more importantly, where the others were. _I swear if Obi-Wan has gotten himself into any trouble, I'll tan his hide with his own lightsabre._

Making his way across the flats was treacherous. The sun was beating down on him, and the rough salt has since worn a hole through his leather boots. Now with each footstep, the ground sliced at his feet, making a dark red trail, tracing back toward his starting position. _This kriffing salt. It's almost as bad as the sand._ As he got closer and closer to the forest, a looming stone structure was begin to take shape to his left, their original goal. Changing his path, he started towards the castle.

He reached the huge base less than a half an hour later. Staring up at the large wooden doors, he did not wait for a diplomatic approach to appear. He simply forced the doors open and sprinted in, lightsabre drawn, ignoring the pain from his feet from the movement. When he realised that there was in fact, no one else in the antechamber, he placed his sabre once more at his side. On one side of the long antechamber were the 20 foot wooden doors he had entered through and on the opposite side, facing the front doors, were even larger, thicker, metal blast doors. Anakin approached the blast doors cautiously looking for hidden wires or lasers that could take him down in an instant. Satisfied that there were none, he placed an ear gingerly to the large doors. Inside he heard Obi-Wan shouting frantically about something over the loud but all too familiar hum of two lightsabres clashing. Obi-Wan shouted one last thing and the lightsabres were extinguished, and the room fell silent. At least for a minute. There was the scrambling of limbs, and once more a lightsabre hum, but this time is much quieter, indicating only one was drawn. There was a cry of pain and a quiet, slowly uttered sentence in Obi-Wan's voice.

"I…pledge myself…to you."

Anakin's eyes went wide in shock and he burst through the door in a blur of motion.

"Obi-Wan NO!" Anakin screamed.

Caedes released Iella and she darted back, lightsabre draw. Obi-Wan remained still for a minute, before he stood up.

"So kind of you to join us, my foolish Padawan. It seems you arrive a little too late." Obi-Wan turned around slowly. Anakin gasped in shock when his eyes locked with Obi-Wan's. Obi-Wan's calm blue eyes were replaced with dark ochre ones. He had a wicked grin perched on his lips. Iella looked just as shocked and was taking small steps towards Anakin. But unfortunately, the guard caught on first. He lunged out and hit Iella full in the face with barrel of his rifle. She was knocked to the ground instantly, blood pouring from her nose and a cut on her face. She scrambled to her feet and darted towards Anakin. She made it this time but almost didn't as the guard fired a shot close to her. Anakin pulled her behind him and drew his sabre.

"Oh…The Master protecting the Padawan, how sweet. Well, Skywalker, just remember how innocent your Padawan is after this." Obi-Wan cues the guard with his fingers. The guard rushes forward and Iella turns around, blade drawn as the guard impales himself on her blade. There is the smell of burning flesh and the hall echoes with the sound of ragged breathes. She extinguishes her lightsabre and the guard falls dead. Iella stands perfectly still, barely drawing a breath as Anakin turns back to face his Master.

"Obi-Wan, you don't have to do this! There is still light in you, come back!"

Obi-Wan chuckles, "There is light in me. There is dark in me. But, my young Padawan, there is more dark in you, than there is light."

Caedes spoke, an evil grin still etched on his face, "Sorry to interrupt this little chat, but it appears as though our next visitor has arrived. You can come out now."

And from the shadows, stepped out a cloaked figure, curved sabre hilt in hand,

Dooku.


	24. XXIV

_From the moment, Obi-Wan pledged himself to Caedes, he could feel the darkness encroaching on his mind. It swept around his shields slowly breaking down his shields. It pooled at the corner of his eyes, drawing him closer. Obi-Wan knew he only had a few precious moments before he changed. He didn't want to go but he had no choice. He would not let Iella be taken, not like that, not again. Obi-Wan reached into his robe pocket and pulled out a small smooth stone. Pressing it to his lips, he whispered to it until the dark overtook, "Master, Qui-Gon, if you can hear me, give me strength. I have failed you, failed them. I could not protect them. I don't wish to join the Dark, but I have no choice. I must. Master, I'm sorry. I didn't not want this. Whatever I do, it's not my will. Make sure they know, you know, this isn't me. Oh Force, please give me strength… give me strength…_

" _Begging for strength from your dead master will not help you, boy." There was that voice again, that voice that beckons to Obi-Wan. When he lost Tahl, that voice whispered to him, "Come join me, you can become more powerful," and when he lost Qui-Gon "Join the Dark Side and you will suffer no more pain, you will be free." And oh, how Obi-Wan wanted to give into those voices, to let go of his suffering, his pain, but he did not. He could not. All he ever wanted was to feel his master's touch once more, to be enveloped in those strong arms and held. "Your Master is dead, but you can prevent more death by joining me." that voice, it's so familiar yet so foreign. And for once, he didn't have to fight it anymore. The time for old memories is over. He squeezed the rock once more in his hand before hurdling it away where it clattered against the wall. And the light was gone._

The tall, menacing, silver-haired master strode forward, knowing full well he was in control the situation. He held no trepidation, only serenity and a wisp of wickedness. Caedes strolled out of the room, arrogance practically dripping from his cloak, his job here was done. Dooku in five smooth, long strides reached Obi-Wan and placed a hand on the younger Master's shoulders.

"I see you finally gave into common sense. It's about time. The Dark Side suits you, your power will only grow."

Iella, like Anakin, stood in shock. She had never met Dooku, only heard stories from Master Obi-Wan about his master's master and his turn to the Dark Side. From what she had been told, Dooku had joined the Dark Side after Master Qui-Gon had died. His name was rarely spoken in the halls of the temple, considered to be a curse. And now, here was her Grand-Master, next to this Dark man, standing now at the same crossroads Dooku had once faced.

Anakin regained his composure and stepped forward, desperation and despair lacing his voice in potent curls.

"Obi-Wan! You don't have to do this! Come back and we can fix this, there is still time! You are not meant for the Dark! You are a beacon of Light! You fight the Dark everyday, and you have won every time. Do not give up now! Come back, I need you, _we_ need you. Think of Qui-Gon, remember Master Qui-Gon? What would he think of you as a Sith?"

A flash of anger in those amber eyes caused Anakin to take a step back.

"Do not speak of Qui-Gon to me! You did not know him! You did not live with him, work with him, fight alongside him. You did not let him die as I did. He died because of me. I did not run fast enough. I did not fight hard enough. You do not have the guilt of his death on your mind, your conscience, your soul. I carry his death with me everyday. Do not speak to me about the Dark and the Light. I have fought the Dark Side everyday and for once in my life, I am tired of fighting. I am finally able to be free. The galaxy has done too much fighting, they want peace. And I am ready to join them. The Light Side is too weak, the Dark Side holds so much more power and has the ability to bring peace to this twisted, twisted universe! Peace can be brought and will be brought at my hand."

This time it was Iella who stepped forward, summoning a deep breath as she went.

"Obi-Wan, Master, that would not be peace! That would be tyranny, oppression, fear. That will a galaxy built on fear. It will have no strength, no loyalty. It will crumble. Your people will scared into submission and will not stand when threatened. Oppression inspires rebellion. The brave will reject your new order, and they will inspire the weak to join them. They will rise in numbers, too powerful for even the Dark Side's control. They will live in fear, Obi-Wan! Hasn't that been what we have been trying to stop for all these years? All these years you've trained Anakin as Qui-Gon trained you and as Anakin now trains me. For thousands of years, this has been the way of the Jedi Order. The Master trains the Padawan, teaching them to become greater than the Master. Are you going to let all that work go for nothing? The Jedi would lose so much without you, Obi-Wan! Anakin would lose so much, I would lose so much. You are loved, you are _needed_ , Obi-Wan. Please come back. Are you going to let decades of training and education from you, Qui-Gon, Anakin, Yoda, Mace, Tahl, everyone go to waste? They all love you Obi-Wan they have given time, energy, patience to train you. Some have even sacrificed their lives for you! Do not let their deaths be in vain!"

A single tear slid from Obi-Wan's eye, glistening down his cheekbone, before falling to stone ground with a quiet drop.

"Obi-Wan, please, fight the dark, just like I did. I fought and I won, Obi-Wan you fight too. You are not hopeless. There is still light in you, Obi-Wan. Stick to it, strengthen it, keep it close. Come back to us. You have so much to teach everyone. To teach me! This is not the will of the Force. This is not your destiny!"

Any trace of sorrow in Obi-Wan's eyes disappeared as he blinked. The fire had returned.

"And what do you know of destiny, my child? You do not even know your own. You may think you have escaped the Dark Side but, my dear, that is only one step of a much longer road. I joined the Dark Side to protect you! To save you! You would lying on the ground dead if I had not done this. And if that had happened I could not live with myself. To see you or Anakin be killed because of something I could have prevented would kill me inside. I have witnessed enough death already, my shoulders bear the weight of all that guilt. By joining the Dark Side I can grow stronger and prevent you from dying. I can cheat death. I can be free of this pain. Iella, you cheated death once already. You know what it is like to overcome such defeat. You no longer fear it. Join me, together we can become more powerful than any Jedi ever could. We will be the Sith Immortal, the Man who cheated death and the Girl Reincarnate. Join me, Iella."

"Do not assume I do not fear death!" Iella shouted, suddenly raising her voice, fire licking at the edge of her words. "I still don't understand what happened to me, I doubt I ever will. I live everyday terrified that it will happen again and I will not be so lucky this time! You know nothing of what it is like to cheat death. It is not as simple as living again. It is so, so much more. It is waves of pure joy, and gales of piercing agony, it is pain and happiness together. It is so hard to grasp, so hard to accept. You suffer such horrible effects from it. One is not supposed to cheat death, and there were times when I had wished I had not cheated death. That I had died on Ostriea, so I would not have to experience these things. Your friends grieve for you, but then you return and they feel pity. They move further away from you, interact with you less, they become distant and scared because they had already accepted that you were gone. I do not wish that hell upon anyone, especially not you, Obi-Wan! You are my master, _my friend_. And for you to experience that torture would tear me apart. Please for Qui-Gon." Iella's voice dropped, pleading with the last sentence. Her eyes were watery, but no tears spilled.

Obi-Wan remained quiet for a moment before speaking in a voice so quiet Anakin almost didn't hear it, "For Qui-Gon."

He looked up and locked gazes with Iella and his ochre eyes went pale like the bitterpearl berries of Etheron 412. Agonizingly slowly, traces of cyan began to soak through until that beautiful, captivating, complex bluegrey returned. Anakin almost cried with joy.

Dooku, who had been silent during this whole time letting his plan play out, suddenly realised that it had failed. Dooku, the brilliant mastermind, had _failed._ He had to come up with something fast. A drastic action flashed into his head and without thinking about it, he drew his sabre and swung it hard at Obi-Wan's torso. Getting rid of Kenobi, would solve part of the problem. The lightsabre swung, but before it could slice through the Jedi's torso, Dooku felt a thrust and was slammed hard into the stone wall behind him. His eyes darted around the chamber, looking for the responsible party. Standing firm, however small she was in comparison to the others, was Iella, hand reaching out, fierce eyes locked on Dooku's. He had not succeeded in killing Kenobi, rather instead delivered a painful blow horizontally across his chest. Obi-Wan sank to his knees before collapsing to the ground.

Anakin didn't even see what happened. All he saw was a flash of red, Dooku go flying backwards, and Obi-Wan collapse to the ground. Ignoring the sudden stinging coming from his neck, Anakin ran to his Master's side, and felt for a pulse, finding a very weak one. Obi-Wan was barely alive, unconscious, a large and deep burn running along his chest. He looked at Dooku then traced back to where his Padawan was standing tall, hand still outstretched. Her silver eyes were forcefully fixed on Dooku's. The entire room was quiet before Iella's voice rang out, resolute and cold,

"You will not hurt him."

And Anakin swore he saw ochre flicker in her eyes.


	25. XXV

Seeing that it was his time to leave, Dooku regained his balance and sprinted out of the room, cloak following like a shadow behind him, to his awaiting ship. As he flew out of the atmosphere and away from that pitiful planet, Dooku had to admit he was a lot more chilled from the Padawan's declaration than he cared to let on. Iella had declared it with so much force it almost seemed as though it was a Force suggestion. _She holds potential. She is powerful and fierce. She would be a valuable asset. I will have to keep an eye on her. We don't want her losing all that ferocity, used correctly it would make her an unbeatable ally._

* * *

Iella came out of her trance-like state a few seconds after her vow, after Dooku had fled. She seemed fine, very concerned about Obi-Wan, running over towards him.

In a split second, Anakin drew his sabre and held it out defensively between himself and Iella. "Get back!" he shouted her. Iella skidded to a fast halt, pure bewilderment on her face.

"Master? What are you talking about? Put your sabre down!"

"NO! You caused this! You traitor! This was your fault! You forced him to join the Dark Side! You left him no choice! He would have never been turned to a Sith. And now! Now he's corrupted, he's got a seedling of dark planted in him that will only grow! You caused this! If you weren't here, Obi-Wan would have been fine! You are tainted with the Dark Side. I wish you had just died so we could be free. Stay away from us!" Anakin screamed at his appalled apprentice. Iella held out her hands in surrender before taking a few small steps backwards. Once she was a safe distance away, Anakin dropped the sabre before pulling Obi-Wan tighter in his arms and whispering "Obi-Wan, my master, you're going to be alright. My Obi-Wan, you are safe. That traitor-" Anakin flashed a murderous glance towards Iella, "will not hurt you again."

It was in this moment, this terrifying eye-opening moment, that Iella realised how much her master cared for Obi-Wan. How fiercely passionate and protective he was. And how deadly that could be. Anakin would do anything for Obi-Wan. Lie, cheat, even kill to save him. If something happened to Obi-Wan, Anakin would fall too. If Obi-Wan died, so would Anakin. They were bonded more than just Master and Padawan. They were bonded as brothers, for life. Together, inseparable, lethal. When the hero falls, so do his followers.

"Master! What's wrong?! Snap out of it! We must get Obi-Wan back to the ship so he can receive medical attention! So he can get better!" Iella exclaimed. Anakin stopped whispering for a moment and looked up at her. His face was still hard with hatred but he did not respond. He simply gathered his limp master in his arms gently and called his lightsabre to his hand. Anakin ignited it and gestured with it to Iella.

"Walk in front of us so I can see you. I would've left you here but you must face the Council for your actions."

Iella, not wishing to provoke her irrational master, compiled and walked in front of him making sure her hands were visible at all times. _Why is Master Anakin behaving like this? What happened? It's like someone flipped a switch. I know I shouldn't be, that my Jedi training tells me not to be, but right now, I'm scared. No, not scared. Terrified. Why is my Master being like this? It's like the training accident all over again._

The walk back to the shuttle was long and treacherous. Anakin kept his sabre drawn and pointed at Iella's back the entire way. When they reached the shuttle, Iella was forced to remain outside until Anakin had set Obi-Wan down. He kept reaching up to rub a hand on his neck trying to ease the stinging from his neck. When he returned, he forcefully ushered his prisoner onto the shuttle, glaring at her until she sat down in a chair on the opposite side of the cabin from Obi-Wan.

"Skywalker calling the Jedi Temple. Jedi Temple, please respond."

"Knight Skywalker, this is Padawan Cych, Jedi Temple, Coruscant. State your situation."

"Coruscant, Master Kenobi has been injured and requires medical attention. Please alert the Medical Bay that we will arrive within the day."

"Affirmative. They have been notified."

"Please also place me in immediate contact with the High Council. Priority One."

"Yes Knight Skywalker, right away."

Within a matter of seconds, a holographic image of the Council appeared.

"Knight Skywalker, you requested a priority one link. What is the situation?" Mace Windu's grim voice spoke.

"Masters, I have apprehended a dangerous criminal while on our mission to Statothis. This individual has committed multiple crimes against the Jedi, including attacking Master Kenobi. I highly recommend having Temple security present when we land to take this criminal into custody."

Murmurs and whispers spread through the Council. Yoda clicked his gimer stick on the floor to quiet the group.

"Disturbing news, this is. Temple security we will have. May the Force be with you." And the holographic image vanished.

Anakin turned around and marched out of the cockpit. Iella was still sitting in the same chair as before, hands on her lap. Anakin had removed her lightsabre earlier, _leaving a prisoner their weapon is the surest way to perish._ Iella's shields were solid titanium, so tightly secured not even a wisp of her thoughts escaped.

"Stand up. Now." He commanded. Iella stood up instantly and her hands dropped to her sides. Forcefully, Anakin seized her wrists and whipped her around so her arms were behind her. Holding her there, he fastened a pair of stun cuffs tightly around her small wrists and shoved her back down into the chair.

"The Council has been notified of your crimes. You will face judgment for your actions."

Iella did not speak but her eyes spoke for her. The normal cool grey were a stormy charcoal, almost black. They were sharp with ferocity and passion. But she did not retaliate, did not fight, did not even speak. She remained reticent and mute.

 _Silence is the most powerful scream._


	26. XXVI

Plo Koon was the first to spot the ship coming down through the thick Coruscanti clouds. The Temple guards immediately snapped to attention and the Medical team prepared the stretcher for Kenobi. As the ship's gear touched down on the stone landing platform, Plo was hit with a strong feeling that something was wrong. He didn't know what, but something just felt _wrong_. The hatch to the ship opened and the medical team rushed inside. They returned a few moments later with Obi-Wan lying still on the hover stretcher. As soon as they were off the landing platform and out of harm's way, Master Koon called to Anakin who had remained in the ship with the criminal. The Temple guards ignited their sabre pikes. What came next would forever be etched into the minds of all present. Skywalker marched out to the top of the ramp with the small frame of his Padawan in front of him. His padawan was wearing the stun cuffs. _What is going on?_ _Is she the dangerous criminal he was talking about?_ And in one forceful push, Anakin shoved his padawan down the ramp so she fell in a heap to the bottom where she lay still. Her face had a deep gash and her neck bared a deep, straight burn as though slashed with a sabre. However it was bleeding, which meant… _a_ _ravenblade. She was struck with a ravenblade, only a weapon like that could cause injuries that both burn and bleed._ There was no evidence that either of her injuries had been treated. Plo's face was painted with pure, unconcealed shock, something nobody has ever seen on him before. Anakin simply glared at him and shouted at the Temple Guards who also stood still, "Well? Take her to a cell!" The temple guards whipped into action, grabbing Iella hard by her upper arms, and dragged her away limp, Iella's head slumped to her chest.

"Skywalker, what is going on? What happened out there? Why is your padawan wearing stun cuffs? Why do you believe she is a criminal?"

"Because she is! She attacked Obi-Wan! She's violent and unstable! She doesn't have enough control of her emotions to stay out of the Dark Side!"

"Calm down, Skywalker! If the Council sees evidence of that, then we will investigate. But until then, you must fill out a report. I will take care of your padawan -"

"She will not be my padawan for much longer. I am appealing to the Council for repudiation."

"Anakin," Koon spoke, using the younger man's first name in an attempt to diffuse the emotions roiling through the Force, "do not go to the Council for repudiation yet. Make a report first, and let us investigate. Do not abandon Iella without giving her a chance to defend herself."

Something in Anakin's mind flickered. A hushed voice in the back of his mind told him he was wrong, that his accusations were false. He buried it like he did with all the voices that murmur in his head.

"No. I have made my decision. Iella Kestal will no longer be my padawan."

"Force have mercy on all of us."


	27. XXVII

**Warning: this chapter has mentions of physical abuse.**

* * *

The Temple guards were not discreet while on the way to the detention level. As they continued down the corridors of the Temple, through every passageway, lift, and corner Iella could feel this emotion rising in the Force around her, this raw pain, this _scorn_. And yet, the presence of this emotion, normally so foreign to the Temple, did not surprise the young Padawan. She knew what her Master had portrayed her to be. She knew what she was seen as now. A murderer, a Dark Sider, a traitor. And in her heart, she knew that this wound would not fade easily. The gossip and the whispers would spread and spread. Her life as a Jedi was already tainted. When they reached the cell where Iella would await her 'trial' they did not help her in, they simply threw her into the cold room and slammed the door. And there, in that desolate and icy dungeon, Iella sat and sat for hours. She sat in pain from her injuries, still left untreated, and she sat in agony from her mind and the weight of sorrow on her shoulders.

 _I wish death closer. I wish it to come for me now. No more suffering. No more agony._

* * *

The door to the Council Chamber flew open and Anakin Skywalker marched in, cloak angrily thrashing behind him.

"I ask the Council to accept my repudiation of Iella Kestal."

"Knight Skywalker, you cannot just come bursting in here, demanding that the Council accept your frankly unsubstantiated request. You must first calm down and explain to us what is going on!" Mace Windu's deep, serious voice echoed through the chamber.

"Kestal attacked Master Kenobi while on Statothis. She attempted to murder Obi-Wan in cold blood. Kestal is too unpredictable to be a Jedi. Her brush in the Dark Side has tampered with her mind. She is unstable!" Anakin's voice trembled but he remained severe.

"Knight Skywalker? Are you alright? Perhaps we should postpone this session until you have had a chance to rest?" Depa Bilaba's voice was laced with concern.

"No! Kestal is a threat to the… to the Jedi and she should…she should..." There was that whisper again, _She should what Anakin? She should be executed for her crime? A 13 year old girl, executed, because of something she had no control over? Executed, killed, slaughtered?_ "No… no… stay out of my head…Kestal needs to pay!" Everyone in the room could feel the pure hate and rage radiating off Skywalker. Master Windu's face pulled into concerned frown and he leaned forward in his seat. It was becoming increasingly clear that Anakin was a threat to Iella, whether or not she was guilty. His attachment to Kenobi has severely altered his mind. He is willing to kill his own Padawan in some twisted form of revenge. Anakin's mechanical hand was clenching and unclenching into a fist spasmodically while his other hand reached shakily up to his forehead. "She's-she's guilty-" _Is she, Skywalker?_ "I witnessed it…" … _Your mind can be a convincing liar…_ "She a...attacked Ma...Master Kenobi in cold blood. She is of the Dark Side...She's...she's...she's a ssssith. She deserves… to- to die." Shocked glances passed around the Council chamber. "She is not...not a Je-" Before he could finish his declaration, Anakin's eyes rolled back, his knees buckled and he fell to the ground, convulsing in a violent seizure. His head hit the tile floor with a hard _crack_ that echoed through the chamber. Mace flew out of his seat and to Anakin's side, cradling the young Jedi's head to prevent more injuries. Depa immediately called for a healer while the rest of the Council members sat still in their seats. In his half-conscious paroxysm, Anakin mumbled _no… no… kill her… kill her…_

* * *

When Master Che found out that Iella Kestal had been refused medical treatment because she was awaiting trial, she was appalled. She didn't even get word from the Council. Just a rumour perpetuated through the Med-centre after a convulsing and delusional Anakin Skywalker was hastily wheeled into the hall. A rumour that, for once, turned out to be true.

If there's anything that everyone in the Temple knows it's that you never cross Master Che when she's angry which is why as she stormed to the Council Chambers, padawans, knights, and even other masters were practically diving out of her way.

For the second time in one day, the door to the Chambers flew open but instead a furious Master Che stomped in. She did not even allow the Masters to react to her startling entrance before beginning her spirited address.

"What is this I hear about Padawan Kestal being refused medical treatment? Is she not a Jedi? Whether or not she is guilty or innocent, she is a Jedi, and more importantly a living being first. To refuse her treatment on the grounds of one person's testimony is absolutely inhumane! Especially when the testimony you are basing this judgment on, has just been proven to have been influenced by a drug!"

Adi Gallia held up a small hand, "Master Che, are you saying that Skywalker has been affected by a drug?"

"Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. My tests have shown that while on Statothis Anakin Skywalker was injected with the drug Naloxacin, a highly dangerous drug which causes extreme paranoia. We have started purging his system of the drug and he is resting well. But that is not the reason I am here. After hearing the rumour about Iella Kestal in the Halls I went to the detention level and attempted to treat the padawan when I was denied to see her. The Temple guards would not even tell me her condition! Now unless you give me a legitimate reason behind this frankly unacceptable behaviour I will march back down there and force my way in. You have no right to deny medical treatment to a Jedi, because she _still_ is a Jedi, especially a child. I will not stand for this." The master finished sharply, her lekku swinging with the force of her gestures. The chambers were silent for a minute, everybody letting the emotions in the Force settle.

"We grant you permission to treat Kestal but if it becomes apparent that she is dangerous or unstable, we will revoke that privilege. You are also not allowed to remove her from the cell, _unless her injuries are immediately life-threatening._ We will not put the Temple in danger."

"Thank you, _Masters._ " There was no hiding the sheer amounts of sarcasm rolling off those words as the Chief Healer turned on her heels and marched out, lekku swaying behind her.

* * *

Master Che once again stormed through the Temple corridors, still upset but much less so seeing as she will be able to treat the young girl. Making a quick stop in the Halls of Healing to grab a medical kit, she returned once more to the detention level. After Ostriea, Che had developed an almost motherly relationship with Iella. It was as though Iella had lived a thousand lifetimes in her thirteen years and those grey eyes, the colour of Nabooian mourning doves, could melt through the ice to the deepest layers of Vokara Che's heart. Iella touched a part of the Twi'lek's heart that no one had ever before. As her short heeled boots clicked across the quiet hallways, her usually-temperate mind was swarming with very un-Jedi-like thoughts. _How could the Council be so harsh and cruel to a child? She's thirteen for Force sake barely a Padawan; and the Council has labeled her a threat? The emotional toil on this girl was heavy enough as it was; she carried the weight of the universe on her shoulders and never faltered._

She did not stop when the Temple guards tried to prevent her from entering the cell, she simply directed them to a transmission from the Council they had been sent. Upon opening the door, she was greeted by a heartbreaking sight. There, leaning up against the cold durasteel walls, was the folded and shaking frame of Iella Kestal. When she looked up, her face was of the most unnatural pale white, her eyes were dull, and she was shaking with cold. Her face, arms, and legs was covered with fresh bruises and cuts. The girl tried to stand up and bow on shaky legs but stumbled and fell to the ground. Master Che rushed over to her and helped her sit back and rubbed a thumb over a clammy and wet cheek.

"Shh… shh… little dreamer, it's alright. Just relax. Relax." She imbued a subtle Force suggestion into her words. The healer placed a hand on Iella's chest to perform a Force examination but immediately drew her hand back when it came back wet with crimson blood. The burn that stretched across Iella's throat was bleeding.

"Did your master do this to you? Did Skywalker do this to you?" Iella look frightened for a moment, Che reprimanded herself, _that came out harsher than I intended._

A shake of the head.

"Who did this to you? Was this all from the mission on Statothis?"

Another shake of the head then a slow gesture to the burn on her neck and a deep gash on her face.

"But if the burn and that cut came from Statothis, where did the rest of this stuff come from?" Che paused, dreading the next words as they developed in her head, "Did someone here in the Temple hurt you?"

The room was silent.

"Iella, if someone in the Temple hurt you, I need to know."

Then a voice so quiet, silence could overpower it easily.

"But she'll hurt me again."

"Child, I will make sure she will not hurt you ever again. She won't even know you said anything."

"You can't promise that. She knows everything. She'll _know_. She'll know."

The girl's voice was a mimicry of her body, trembling and distant.

"Iella, look at me," Che placed a stern hand under the padawan's chin and tilted it up, "I will not let anyone hurt you ever again. I need to know her name. She will not hurt you. I _promise._ "

"I don't know her name," Iella's hushed voice spoke, "She's not Jedi but she pretends to be. I don't know anything else except… except that she comes in here and… beats me." Iella was shaking again and her voice was continually racked with tremors.

"It's okay, my little dreamer, you've already said enough. No one will hurt you, _ever again._ "

A smile breached Vokara's lips at the new-found hope in those grey eyes.

"Now, let's get you taken care of."


	28. XXVIII

… _She attacked Master Kenobi… She's not a Jedi… She needs to die…_

"What have I done? What have I done? I'm so sorry… I didn't… no… I'm so sorry…"

"Master Skywalker, it's over, you're alright… Skywalker, open your eyes."

A sliver of distressed azure eyes squinted in the bright light. Anakin's hand reached to his forehead as he moved to sit up. A Zabrak apprentice, Padawan Pere'n, stood next to him, a glass of cool water in his dark hands. He handed it to the older knight who drank a few ravenous sips before handing it back to the boy. Anakin seemed to be revived from the drink and his eyes darted around frantically, searching for something, anything, familiar.

"What happened? Where's Obi-Wan? And Iella? Are they alright? How did we get off Statothis? What am I doing here?"

"You were injected with a neurotoxin called Naloxacin. It causes extreme paranoia and eventual blindness. However, we caught it and flushed your system of the toxin. You also had extensive lacerations on your feet from long distances of barefoot walking and a concussion from hitting your head during your seizure in the Council Chambers. The cuts have been washed and treated with bacta and you simply require rest for the concussion. Master Kenobi is still submerged in bacta and will remain so for another few hours. His injury cut through all of the layers of skin and damaged some internal organs. And for the state of Padawan Kestal, I do not know. She was taken to the detention level immediately after your arrival on Coruscant. I do not believe her injuries have been treated as of yet. Howe-" But the young padawan could not finish the sentence as he was interrupted.

"Why was my padawan taken to the detention levels? Why hasn't she been treated?"

"You do not remember? Padawan Kestal is awaiting trial on the charges of treason and attempted murder. I only just received word from the Council. You accused her of attacking Master Kenobi and committing multiple treasonous acts against the Republic. Your testimony in front of the Council was the deciding factor of her incarceration."

"What?! Where is she? I need to see her. I need to know if she's alright! Take me to her!" Anakin demanded, his voice deep and vehement.

"Master Skywalker, I cannot allow you to leave this bed. I will however, honour your request to find out her status. But only on one condition; that you stay in your bed until you are completely, undeniable, unequivocally healed."

 _Kriff, he must be Che's Padawan. He's already picking up her assertiveness._

Anakin opened his mouth to respond, but paused weighing the options.

"Alright, I agree. But I want to know the moment you find out anything about either Master Kenobi or my padawan."

"Good, Master Skywalker. I'm glad we could reach an agreement." Padawan Pere'n smiled before turning on his heels sharply and striding out of the small room.

 _Pfft, agreement. Good one. Like I had a choice._

Anakin snorted loudly. There was no way he was just going to sit in his medical bed while his Padawan was facing what could be the greatest tribulation of her life. _Screw whatever that healer said, what was his name? Padawan pissing-me-off? I'm not going to wait here._

With the strongest mental shields he could muster to keep particularly nosy healer's padawans out, he went through the checklist in his mind:  
 _Okay, what are my options for escape?_

 _Ventilation shafts? No, last time I did that I wound up falling through the ceiling in Master Che's office managing not only to scare the life out of her but also break her most treasured tea cup._

 _Smuggled out with the laundry? That was definitely the snuggliest option but after the Padawan in charge had sped around a corner sending Anakin and the laundry flying to land at the feet of a very irate Knight Imnie, that was no longer an option._

 _One final option flickered to his mind and a wicked grin spread across his face._

 _Oh, this is going to be good._

Carefully and extremely quietly, Anakin placed a booted foot on the ground testing his balance. Convinced he could stand, walk, and even better _run,_ he plotted _._ Still dressed in his original robes, he thanked the Force for that, Anakin took and deep breath and _ran._ He ran out of his room, down the hall, and straight past the reception desk, leaving a confused Padawan Pere'n in his wake. Anakin laughed exhilaratingly, _I can't believe that actually worked_ and like a runaway lothcat, he dashed straight for the nearest lift dodging into crevices and niches to avoid any passing Jedi who might seek to turn him in.

* * *

It didn't take long for Master Che to treat Iella's wounds but it was not an easy task. Her hands were shaking and her mind was overrun by the worst kind of thoughts. _What possesses a person, let alone a Jedi, to beat a child? They need to feel what Iella felt, the pain, the betrayal. The Jedi Temple was her home, her life and that traitor made her fear it. They need to be punished…What?_ Vokara had to mentally slap herself, _What am I thinking? I'm no better than them! Violence for violence is completely unacceptable._

"Thank you for everything, Master Che." Iella spoke timidly interrupting the older woman's thoughts.

"Little Dreamer, it is you I should be thanking. You have done so much for me. You took a bitter old woman who wanted no more than to follow the rules and taught her compassion and audacity. You taught me that it's okay to break the rules sometimes, especially when it's for something you truly care about." Che winked and Iella's cheeks flushed. "You put the fire back in these tired eyes. You are so strong, my darling, so strong and so spirited."

"Then how come I don't always feel that way?"

"Iella, have you ever looked to the stars at night and noticed that they're always different? How one night a star is there and the next it's gone?" The young girl nodded. "Your strength is like the stars. It's always there in the dark and in the light and while you may not always be able to see it, its there. When a star dies, it takes days and even months for the light to stop reaching us. And in that time, thousands of other stars take its place. While one star might die and bring you sadness like a bad memory or failure might, the other stars that take its place are stronger and brighter building off of that previous pain. Never do all the stars go out, there's always light. You _are_ the stars, little one. You are made of stardust and sky. You are ever as much a part of the sky as the planets are. Never doubt your worth and never doubt your strength. You never lose strength, it's just sometimes you don't feel it. Now I must return to the Healer's ward. I have one very restless Master Skywalker to care for. I will be back soon to get you out of this cell. First, I must have a little 'chat' with the Council." Master Che gave a mischievous smile and gathered her medical kit before standing up.

"Master Che, before you go, I have something. Can you give this to Master Kenobi when he wakes? I know how much it means to him and I think he'd really want to have it back." Iella opened up her hand and resting on her smooth palm was Qui-Gon's riverstone.

"Iella, you had this that whole time? I never thought Obi-Wan would ever let that out of his sight."

"Something happened on Statothis and well, he wasn't thinking right and he said he didn't want it anymore. He threw it and I picked it up because I knew that once he was better, he'd regret getting rid of it. Master Skywalker told me it's the only thing he kept of Qui-Gon's. He couldn't bare to keep anything else, not even one of his teacups."

"Little one, your empathy never fails to amaze me. Yes, I'll take that to him."

Master Che turned back towards the door but before she could take a step, the door slid open.

* * *

"What do you want? Stay away from her." Che stepped back and threw her arms creating a block between the girl and the unwelcome visitor.

"I just want to talk to her, nothing else. See if we can try and figure out a way to fix this. Please, can I speak to my padawan alone?"

"No. I will not allow you to be in here alone with her. Not until we know if the drug is fully out of your system."

"Alright, but please, let me see her. I'm not going to harm her."

The Twi'lek lowered her arms hesitantly before stepping sideways giving the Master and Padawan a clear look at each other. When Skywalker's eyes had travelled up and down his padawan's small frame, they dropped morosely, as though the weight of the sorrow was too heavy a burden. The pair remained silent for a few minutes before Iella's timid voice rang out, "Master?"

"Iella, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. Not even just this. I'm sorry for being such an negligent master. I've never truly spent time getting to know you and there have been times when I've been harsh, even cruel to you. I guess I was just so scared of failing myself that I never realized that you had to carry that pressure along with me. But somehow, through everything, you've never abandoned me. You've always supported me even when there were dozens of opportunities for you to say no, to leave. You've defended me in force knows how many Council sessions, unafraid to speak your mind. I've a dark past and a lot of people I loved have left me and there are times I can be cold, and thoughtless, and hard to understand. You've helped me through those times like the beacon at the end of the tunnel, the eye of storm, the tether that pulls me back. And my repayment for all that? I've mistreated you, force I've tried to _kill_ you. But that ends here. If you want another master, just say. I can't force you to stay, and after everything I would understand if you left. I'm sorry. I know that can't change the past but from now on, I will be there. I love you, Sparks but I haven't been very good as showing it."

Anakin's chin dropped to the ground and his sapphire eyes brimmed with tears. The cell was quiet, deathly quiet now. Then, a sudden flurry of movement as Iella ran to Skywalker and wrapped her arms around him. He remained shocked for a moment before they both fell to their knees, arms wrapped tightly around each other like lifelines. Tears fell from both sets of eyes and even Master Che could feel the waterworks pooling in her eyes. In between the sobs of both Master and Padawan came the gentle voice,

"Master, I could never leave you. To do so would rip me apart. I love you too."

* * *

 _Can't breathe! Can't breathe! Drowning, Drowning!_

He was drowning, drowning like on Pyrpso VII before Qui-Gon had saved him.

 _Qui-Gon will save me. No! He's dead, he died because of me. He's gone. Nobody can save me. I'm going to die!_ He started thrashing around, desperately trying to swim upwards.

A muffled voice shouted, light years away. "Master Kenobi! Obi-Wan! Do you hear me? You're going to be okay. You're in a bacta tank, you were injured on Statothis. Just calm down, breathe deeply, you've got an oxygen mask on, you're not going to drown. Breathe, breathe. It's okay. It's okay." Obi-Wan's terror-stricken blue eyes turned towards the voice and settled upon the face of Healer Rhosault. The short but powerfully built healer had placed a hand against the tank as if to channel calm through the thick glass. Obi-Wan nodded his head weakly acknowledging the healer's words. Rhosault signaled to someone behind Obi-Wan and two sets of arms gently grabbed his upper arms and hoisted him out of the viscous liquid. "Obi-Wan, just relax. We're going to get you into a room where you can rest. If you would like you can enter a meditative state just so long as you're calm." Obi-Wan nodded and reached out to the Force greedily to settle his mind and was instantly struck with the most intense feeling he had ever felt. He cried out in pain. _Pain, pain, pain. So much pain, so much grief, the Force is weeping, weeping with loss. The war is tearing the Force apart. It's taking so many of her children, so many of my brothers and sisters._

"Obi-Wan! What is it, what's wrong? Where does it hurt?" Rhosault called out, a blade of panic slicing into his voice as he called a padawan over with a syringe of sedative. Kenobi's mind was an amalgamation of thousands of voices, thousands of thoughts, thousands of emotions. He felt everything. He felt all the pain from all the Jedi in the temple. He felt the shroud of heartache wrapped the Temple draped on his shoulders.

"Everywhere, I feel everything! All the pain in this place, all the grief. All I feel is pain."

"Master Kenobi, what do you mean? Where is this pain?"

"I can feel everything from everyone in the entire Temple. I can feel the pain that this war is causing. All the emotions in the Temple, I can feel all of it. It's too painful, it hurts, make it stop! Make it stop! No no no! Stop! Get out of my head! This weight is too much. This agony, all this misery, it's too dark. The Force is crying. Please! Please make it stop!" Master Kenobi's hands flew to his head and he shook violently. His eyes, once beryl and bright, were now grey and pale. Tears spilled from their depths and somewhere in Obi-Wan's mind a voice breathed, _These are the first tears you've cried since that demon took Qui-Gon from you…_ He screamed, the torment pressing down on his shoulders making even breathing unbearable. The Healer had seen enough, taking the syringe from the padawan he pressed it to Kenobi's neck and depressed the plunger.


	29. XXIX

Yoda had been buried deep in the shelves of the Archives when he received the comm call.

"Master Yoda, Master Kenobi has been removed from the Bacta tank, Padawan Kestal has been treated by Healer Che, and uh…" The Padawan let his voice trail off, nervousness flickering into existence.

"More is there, Padawan?"

"Yes, Master Yoda. Skywalker has escaped the healer's ward… again. We've sent out patrols to look for him."

"Thank you, Padawan." Needing no further dismissal, the Padawan ended the call, leaving Yoda in silence once again. Then a rumble, from deep within his chest, and Yoda _laughed._ But of course if anyone tried to claim that they heard _Grandmaster_ Yoda laugh, he would deny it vehemently. But something inside the old master always enjoyed hearing about the exploits of Anakin Skywalker. That man could get into trouble just as quickly as he could form a quip to one of Obi-Wan's witticisms.

Buried up and over his ears in archive files, Yoda finally found what he was looking for. Years ago when Yoda was a young padawan he was told the story of the Three Kinsmen and the King. The King was a paranoid and deeply religious man. He ruled his kingdom with an iron fist and no mercy. Day and night he would pray to the Numen begging her to keep him healthy and his kingdom happy. The Numen, a mischievous and avaricious god, wanted to test the King's devotion. She demanded that the King sacrifice his unwed daughter. The King, unwilling to refuse the word of his god, slaughtered his daughter in the Numen's name. The Numen was shocked that he would in fact do that to his own child just to appease her. And so, as punishment, she sent the Three Kinsmen to his kingdom. Each of the Kinsmen represented the three things those with power fear. The woman was Madness because every great ruler fears the day they will no longer be of sound mind to lead. One of the men was Empathy because ruling a powerful nation requires a detached and unimpassioned hand. And the last was Fragility because it takes a strong and severe heart to be feared. The three tortured the King for years, always reminding him that there will come a day when he will lose power. The King tried everything he could think of to relieve himself of these wraiths until one day, the King gave into his fears. And while he slowly went mad, the empathy and fragility came right away. For years, the King ruled with compassion and gentleness, the kingdom was prosperous and joyous and he never prayed to the Numen again. The moral of the story could be interpreted two ways. To the Jedi, it was that being compassionate can make you stronger than tyranny. It also was told as being a metaphor for the Force, saying that while you should trust the Force, you are not its servant and you are not obligated to follow it if it asks you to do something against your beliefs. To the Sith however, it was used to show that if you give into your fears and exploit them, you will become even more powerful than ever before.

A small thought threaded itself in the back of Yoda's mind. And that idea grew from a candle flame into a wildfire when he checked the access history for this particular tale.

"Show Access History for Literature File 362805."

 _This file was accessed today by Yoda, code 13716. One previous access on file. File accessed 10 days ago._

Yoda's ears perked up. The existence of this work is only known to a few and to have it accessed mere days ago played into his suspicion.

"Accessed by whom?"

 _The individual erased their name and code from the databank. No other information available._

Master Yoda scrambled for his comm link, a clawed hand calling the healer's ward in a matter of seconds.

"This is Healer Rhosault, what can I do for you Master Yoda?"

"Kestal, Skywalker, and Kenobi, what are their conditions?"

There was a pause as the healer reached for a datapad.

"Skywalker was brought in here convulsing from a seizure yelling about wanting to kill his apprentice. It says here it was brought on by a paranoia drug called Naloxacin." _Madness._

"Kenobi was just removed from the bacta tank. When he reached out for the force, he was suddenly overcome with pain claiming he could feel all the emotions of everyone in the temple and the Force itself." _Empathy._

"Kestal, according to Master Che, suffered a laceration and burn from Statothis but she also discovered numerous other cuts and bruises the padawan claims were inflicted by someone she says "Is not Jedi but pretends to be." Che also notes that she was very weak." _Fragility._

 _Anakin was Madness, for he feared losing his perilous control of his emotions._

 _Obi-Wan was Empathy, for he feared he would not be able to separate attachments and his duty when the time came._

 _Iella was Fragility, for she feared losing her strength and resiliency in this unrelenting war._

Yoda's ears dropped and he hung up the comm without another word. It seemed to be too much of a coincidence that only a few days before the three Jedi were inflicted, the tale that paralleled their fate was viewed by someone who went to great lengths to remain anonymous. And then there is Iella's mystery attacker. Are they the same person or are they two different people working together? Yoda's mind pushed him to the notion that they were the same person. And the Force agreed.


	30. XXX

The last 11 days had been a whirlwind for Iella, Anakin, and Obi-Wan. After Iella and Anakin had both been declared medically fit (but not before Anakin was given a stern talking to about escaping the healer's ward), the duo had called a Council session where Anakin formally renounced the charges against Iella. The Council offered Iella the chance to speak and repudiate her Master, but the girl remained steadfast, insisting that Skywalker was the right master for her. A few Council members had voiced their apprehension but in the end, Iella had won over them. Obi-Wan remained sedated for nearly 4 days while his wound healed nicely and all the remaining drugs were flushed from his system. After numerous tests on all three of the Jedi, it was discovered that the tranquilizer darts each had been hit with contained a different drug leading to their actions. It only took a matter of a day or two to remove all traces of the drugs from their systems. At last, Obi-Wan no longer felt all the emotions of the temple, Anakin was no longer suspicious of everything and Iella no longer felt weak and vulnerable as before. A team of investigators was formed to search for Iella's attacker, now dubbed the "Turncoat". Iella remained a big part of that team, helping them search through hours of security footage. Master Che said it was good for her to work on that. It would help her overcome her fear from the incident. However there were times when that anxiety would suddenly spike and cause the girl to fear for her life. More than once Anakin had been called by a alarmed instructor down to the training salles or classrooms because Iella was in the midst of a panic attack. "It takes time." was all the healers could say, "You just have to be there for her and help her." And by the Force, Anakin was there. He was not going to let Iella down this time. Finally after a long meeting and meditation with Master Yoda, he had suggested that the Master and Padawan make an appointment to see the chief Mind Healer in the Order. As Anakin and Iella walked through corridor after corridor on the way to the Mind Healer's office, small pinpricks of uneasiness pierced into the Force around them.

"Master, why are you nervous? Master Oamiril is nice and he just wants to help."

"I know, Sparks. But a long time ago, after Master Qui-Gon had died, I was forced to go to dozens of these 'mind sessions'. They said it was because I was too emotional, that I was destined to fall to the Dark Side. The only way to stop that was to go to Mind Healers. Every week I went for almost 2 years. Since then, I've felt nervous around them. I always feel like they know everything I'm thinking. It's irrational I know but I just can't shake the feeling."

"You know what Master Yoda always says, 'Old sins cast long shadows.' But for what it's worth, I don't think it's irrational. We all have things we're afraid of."

They rounded the last corner and stood in front of the door. The door was inset with panels of etched glass and the room within was warm and peaceful, as though they were entering a spa and not a healer's office. Iella slipped her hand into Anakin's and they walked through the doors together, just as master and Padawan should.

A few short minutes later, Anakin and Iella were settled in the grass of the Mind Healer's private garden deep within the Temple. Even with an artificial sky, the garden was alive with energy from plants and trees. A few birds sang melodic and sanguine tunes over the steady purr of a bubbling creek. All of Anakin's apprehensions fell away and were swept along by the current of the water. The Force flowed abundantly here, as bright as the sun of Ietera. The Master and Padawan faced each other, sitting in the soft grass as the Master Healer knelt beside them. Oamiril was of the species Rueliuu. Ruelians were tall, slim humanoid beings with grey, ashen skin, bright fuchsia eyes, and jewels that snaked from their tear ducts down the edge of their nose and under the edge of their eyes. The jewels were a multitude of colours from chartreuse to orchid, cerulean to scarlet and represented the individual's career and accomplishments. Master Oamiril's were the most beautiful shade of coquelicot, the colour representing the aura that all healers carry with them in the Force. Their intimidating, sometimes supernatural appearance combined with their incredible foresight abilities contributed to their more-commonly known name, the Revenants. The mind healer's voice was soft and deep as he spoke the ritualistic words to the two Jedi kneeling on the earth in front of him. His job was simply to initiate and oversee the procedure, not to play a role in it.

"The bond between master and padawan has been weakened, by trial, by struggle, by fight. Together, minds as one, may the bond be made right. Trust each other unconditionally, just as Master and Padawan should be. Let the Force guide your being and your mind, let go your shields and be intertwined."

The words were imbued with a gentle Force relaxant. The Mind Healer could not force the Jedi to lower their shields; the procedure would not work unless both participants were doing so of their own free will. Anakin let down his shields first, he needed to let Iella know he trusted her. He felt a featherlight brush against his mind, like someone running their hand along a wall as they walk or the caressing heat when your hand passes over a lit candle. It was so gentle, so warm, so smooth. He let the final wall around his mind fall at the touch, and he felt a ripple in the Force as Iella did the same. And immediately, chaos. Anakin's mind felt like it had been pitched out of a ship in hyperspace. Everything was twisting gut-wrenchingly and was fuzzy and unclear. He felt like he was going to be sick. _Is this what Iella's mind always looked like?_ Anakin felt a pang of remorse when he realized he had never touched the mind of his Padawan like this, not even during the formation of the bond or after the training accident. There were so many doors in her mind, some were unlocked, some shut with dozens of locks. Iella may have opened her mind to let her master in but she was not willing to open some of those repressed memories again. She had fought her demons too hard to let them be released again. _Little does he know, this is for his own sake. I fear that he would suffer if he saw into the deepest corners of my mind._ And in a final sickening jolt, both Master and Padawan were forced through a thick purple door, Iella reaching out trying to pull them away from this door and Anakin no longer felt as though he was a visitor in Iella's mind. He felt like a part of it, but yet somehow though he could see into her mind and experience it through her, he could not feel what she felt or hear what she told herself.

 _A fog of amethyst._

 _A flash of ultramarine._

 _A wind that threatened to rip the ground apart._

 _And there, in it all, was Anakin._

"No! This can't be. No! It's not possible! How? How can my master have seen into my mind? This is my memory not his! This door was closed for a reason! This was my fight with the dark side not his! He can't see this! No! It hurts… it hurts… I want this to stop… I want to leave… but I can't, I can't, I'm trapped. He shouldn't see this! No! He can't see what he'll become! … "

* * *

 _A haze of orchid._

 _A flare of azure._

 _A gale that sought to split the world in two._

 _And there she was._

 _Iella is here again. What is she doing? She's shouting at someone? But there's nobody else here? What is she doing in my vision? What is my vision doing in her mind? What is she shouting?_ Anakin stepped closer to Iella, who was still unaware of his presence. And what he heard made his blood turn to ice.

"No! I will not kill him! I cannot kill him. But the monster he becomes! I could stop that, I could prevent all that pain, all that death. If I kill him now, that future will not happen. It would be so simple, so quick…"

"Master!" Anakin froze, _that voice, it's Iella. But I see her in front of me, she's talking about killing someone. I'm imagining that other voice. It's just a hallucination._

"Master! Listen to me! Turn around, now! You have to turn away right now." Anakin's head turned to the sound. There standing just a few metres away, was Iella, a different Iella, another Iella.

"Iella? How are there two of you? What is going on?"

"You must not remain in my vision. It's dangerous for you to stay here! The other Iella, that one over there," She gestures to the one mumbling to herself on the other side of Anakin, "is what I once was. When I collapsed, when I _died,_ I fought with the Light and Dark sides. They fought to control my mind. That is why I am the Harmony. Both the Light side and the Dark side live within me equally. And everyday, I have to force myself to stay in the Light. But sometimes, when I hurt the most, when the pain overwhelms me, that horrible, sickening voice whispers in my mind and I just want it to stop because the moment I take the first step, I can never return. That Iella is the future I will never live because I choose to live in the Light. That Iella wants nothing but death, and revenge, and pain. You must walk away from her, she is dangerous! You must leave at once for your own safety. These are my own monsters. I must fight them alone."

"No. Iella, I can't let you do that." Iella was taken aback. Anakin paused before continuing, "I will not let you fight this alone. Too many times, I've been blind to you and that ends here. I have been too remiss in my care of your well being. You're fiercely devoted, and compassionate, and complex, and stubborn and I love that about you. You remind me so much of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan sees that and we're _so_ proud. You will never let anything stand in your way. You are so strong but I am your master, and more importantly I am your _friend_. I will no longer force you to stand alone. I will be there, always."

A sudden and fierce gust of wind whipped by, striking against their skin. Anakin started to turn his head away from the gale when a sinister voice in his head whispered, _Look again… look back._ Skywalker's blood turned cold and he slowly turned back into the wind.

 _There in the middle of the storm was a massive tree, onyx black and smooth as though the bark had been polished by a constant stream. It reached up and up; barren branches poisoning the sky turning light into dark. And below roots dug deeper and deeper into the ground binding itself to its victim. The whole tree was embedded with veins that pulsed, blood red._

Anakin made a move to step closer and reach out his mechanical hand to touch the smooth bark but as soon as he got close, an arc of red electricity shot out and shocked his hand. Then a voice uttered from nowhere as if spoken by the wind,

… _Tsk tsk, you can't look at that. She's mine, Skywalker. And there's nothing you can do…_

It was so fast. A glint of silver as the lightning flashed and a jewelled dagger went through Anakin's abdomen and both Master and Padawan were thrown out of the vision, gasping for breath as their lungs filled suddenly and harshly, black spots clouding their sight painfully. Master Oamiril's face paled. He knew what they had just discovered, _no it cannot be, not to her,_ _not now,_

Norkaai'ari. The Dark Bond.

 _Even light always casts a shadow._

* * *

And in a high-rise building less than a mile from the Temple stood the Regent dressed in Jedi robes with bloody knuckles and a red-stained knife, a lightsabre hanging from her hip.

"It's over, Kestal. The scales have tipped."


End file.
